■^ai»iM»kik.....a^..,,...t.i^...->^.-..i^ak.:^^  . ..      ^.... ..  '■  '-V^tM^li       A 


CDlumbfa  Santtier^ftj) 

inti)eCitpof3lrttig(jrk 

THE  LIBRARIES 


GIVEN  BY 

Martin    Fenton 


^.w^   ^ 


HENRY  BOYNTON  SMITH. 


llli 


LIFE    AND    WORK. 


EDITED  BY  HIS  WIFE. 


WITH  PORTRAIT  OX  STEEL  BY  RITCHIE. 


NEW  YORK : 

A.    C.    ARMSTRONG    &    SON, 

714  Broadway. 

1881. 


93  F.  3 


COPTEIGHT, 

1880, 
By  ELIZABETH  L.  SMITH. 


JUL  2  7   »44 


PRIS9  Cf  J.  J.  LlltLt  t  CO., 
KOS.    10   TO  ao    ASTOR    PLACE,  NEW  YORK. 


Death,  the  dark  Angel,  placed  within  my  hand 

A  goodly  picture  set  with  jewels  rare  : 
He  spake  no  word  ;  he  gave  me  no  command, 

Whether  to  hoard  it  or  its  worth  declare. 
Keep  it,  lone  heart,  thy  treasure  through  the  years  I 

No  gaud  is  this  to  please  the  careless  crowd, 
Heart's  blood  its  rubies  and  its  pearls  are  tears, 

Fame's  faiiitest  breath  its  purity  will  cloud. 
— Nay,  'tis  the  Master's  work,  and  His  own  touch 

Graces  the  picture  with  divinest  art  ; 
He  in  white  raiment  trod  our  earthly  soil. 

Nothing  for  Him  too  sacred  or  too  much! 
His  works  shall  praise  Him,  and  the  loyal  heart 

Is  no  less  praise  than  all  the  life-long  toil. 


mTKODUCTORY  NOTE. 


This  volume  in  memory  of  my  husband  has  been  pre- 
pared with  special  reference  to  his  many  students  in 
this  and  other  lands,  in  the  assurance  that  the  better 
knowledge  of  himself  Avill  give  increased  honor  to  his 
memory  and  emi3hasis  to  his  teachings. 

Grateful  acknowledgments  are  due  to  many  friends 
for  contributions  to  its  pages  ;  particularly  to  the  ven- 
erable Professor  A.  S.  Packard  of  Bowdoin  College 
and  Rev.  Dr.  Withington  of  Newburyport,  to  Rev. 
Cyrus  Hamlin  of  Constantinople,  Professor  Park  of 
Andover,  President  Seelye  of  Amherst,  Professor  March 
of  Lafayette  College,  and  Rev.  Drs.  Hastings  and  Vin- 
cent of  New  York. 

The  important  counsel  and  assistance  of  the  two  life- 
long friends  of  my  husband,  Professor  Goodwin  of 
Philadelphia  and  Dr.  Prentiss  of  New  York,  are  also 

most  thankfully  acknowledged.  - 

E.  L.  S. 
Northampton,  Mass.,  Jtme,  1880. 


CONTENTS   OF   CHAPTERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

EARLY  LIFE.— 1815-1837. 

His  birth.  Maine.  Portland.  Paternal  ancestry.  His  father.  Maternal 
ancestry.  His  mother.  His  second  mother.  Her  account  of  his  child- 
hood. His  father's  account  of  him.  School-days.  Diary.  Bowdoin 
College.  His  conversion.  Letters  at  this  time.  Letter  from  Dr.  Cyrus 
Hamlin,  D.D.  Letter  from  Prof.  Alpheus  S.  Packard,  D.D.  Andover 
Seminary.  Sickness.  Bangor  Semin^iry.  First  published  articles. 
Trip  to  Katahdin.  Tutorship  at  Bowdoin  College.  Loss  of  health. 
Review  of  "  Upham's  Philosophy."    Departure  for  Europe Page  1 

CHAPTER  II. 

LIFE  i]sr  EUROPE. — 1837-1840. 

Paris.  Lectures.  Society.  Influence  of  works  of  art.  Girardin.  Jouf- 
froy.  St.  Hilaire.  Rev.  Mr,  Kirk,  Pere  la  Chaise,  Burial  of  Silves- 
ter de  Sacy,  Journey  through  Belgium,  The  Rhine,  Halle.  Tholuck. 
Ulrici.  Berlin.  Dr.  Jiingken.  Journey  with  Tholuck.  Geneva.  Dr. 
Molan,  Chamouni,  Return  to  Halle,  Tholuck's  preaching.  Vaca- 
tion trip  to  Wittenberg  and  Berlin.  Year  in  Berlin,  Mr,  Eli  Smith. 
Dr,  Edward  Robinson,  Neander,  Hengstenberg,  Mrs,  Hegel's  ac- 
count of  her  husband,  Ranke  on  Calvin,  German  witticisms,  Rahel 
and  Bettina,  Baron  von  Kottwitz.  Decision  to  remain  in  Germany, 
Pottsdam,  Babelsberg.  Godet  and  the  Crown  Prince,  Dresden. 
Tieck,  Vogel  von  Vogelstein,  Wulkow,  Baron  von  Schenckendorf 
and  his  family,  German  friends.  Departure.  London.  Return  to 
America Page  39 

CHAPTER  III. 

TEARS   OF   WAITING. — 1840-1842. 

His  return.  Andover,  Professors,  License  to  preach.  First  sermon. 
Preaching.     Appointment  as  temporary  instructor  at  Bowdoin  College. 


viii  Contents  of  Chapters. 

Visit  to  the  old  Scarborough  home.  President  Woods'  Cambridge  address. 
Boston  Transcendentalists.  German  PhilosoiDhy.  Visit  to  Boston. 
Mr.  llipley.  Mr.  Bancroft.  Mr.  Brownson.  Dr.  Wallcer.  Dr.  Clian- 
ning.  Cambridge.  President  Quincy,  etc.  Mr.  R.  H.  Dana.  Theo- 
dore Parker.  Miss  Peabody.  Mr.  Ticknor.  Mr.  Emerson.  Professor 
Park's  preaching  in  Boston.  Andover  and  its  Professors.  Preaching 
in  Portland.  College  Bible  Class.  Lecture  on  Mythology.  Sermon  on 
Sanctification.  Address  on  death  of  President  Harrison.  Prospects 
from  Dartmouth  and  Bowdoin  Colleges.  Disappointments.  President 
Magown's  letter.  Preaching  at  Hadley.  Sickness.  Revival-work  in 
Saccarappa.  Boston.  Religious  interest  there.  Preaching  in  Rox- 
bury,  Mass.,  Portsmouth,  N.  II.,  South  Berwick,  Me.,  and  Norwich, 
Ct.  Visit  to  Brook  Farm,  Mr.  Ripley,  etc.  Brownson.  Prof.  Sears. 
Andover.  Dr.  AVoods.  Walks  with  Prof.  Park.  Prof.  B.  B.  Edwards. 
Prof.  Stuart.  Preaching  at  West  Amesbury  Congregational  Church 
and  call  to  its  pastorate Page  87 

CHAPTEE  IV. 
« 

PASTORATE  AT  WEST  AMESBURY. — 1842-1847. 

His  ordination.  His  marriage.  Qualifications  for  a  pastor's  life.  Letters 
of  Dr.  Lawrence  and  Dr.  Withington.  Letter  to  Rev.  G.  L.  Prentiss. 
Literary  address  at  Bowdoin  College.  Election  to  Professorship  of 
Rhetoric  in  Amherst  College.  Reasons  for  declining  it.  Infant  bap- 
tism. Donation  party.  Bibliotheca  Sacra.  Address  at  Bangor  Anni- 
versary. Invitation  to  teach  Hebrew  at  Andover  Seminary.  Sketch  of 
Hegel  and  translations  from  his  works  for  Dr.  Hedge's  "Specimens  of 
German  Prose  Writers."  Second  Winter  at  Andover.  Election  to  Pro- 
fessorship of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy  at  Amherst.  Acceptance. 
Farewell  sermons.  Letters  from  Professor  Tholuck.  Recollections  of 
Professor  Park Page  108 

CHAPTEE  Y. 

AMHERST.— 1847-1850. 

Life  at  Amherst.  College  Studies  and  Duties.  Letters  from  Professor  Tho- 
luck. Address  at  Burlington.  Ordination  Sermon  at  West  Amesbury. 
Various  preaching.  Andover.  Address  on  "  Relations  of  Faitli  and 
Philosophy."  Prof.  William  A.  Peabody.  Revival  in  College.  Proofs 
of  Personality  of  God.  Rothe's  Theologische  Ethick.  Letter  from 
President  Seelye.  Letter  from  Professor  March.  I'rofi  Tyler's  notice 
in  "History  of  Amherst  College."  Invitation  to  Chair  of  Church  History 
in  Union  Theological  Seminary.  Letters  —  objections  —  acceptance. 
Mr.  R.  H.  Dana's  lectures.  Beginning  of  lectures  in  New  York. 
Letter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Cox Page  136 


Contents  of  Chapters.  ix 

CHAPTER  VI. 

NEW  YORK.— 1850-1859. 

Inaugural  on  Church  History.  Ilis  ideal  and  aim.  Appointment  to  Chair 
of  Systematic  Theology.  Outside  labors  for  Seminary.  Interest  in  his 
students.  Their  testimonies.  Letter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Hastings.  Preacliing. 
Prayer-meeting  talks.  Public  ecclesiastical  services.  Resolutions  on 
Slavery.  Minority  Report  on  R.  C.  Baptism.  Literary  labors.  Con- 
tributions to  periodicals  and  cyclopaedias.  Revision  of  Geiseler. 
Chronological  Tables  of  Church  History.  Addresses  at  college  com- 
mencements. Lectures  at  Spingler  Institute.  Work  on  Bible  Colla- 
tion Committee.  The  "  Critic."  Death  of  his  father.  Summer  vaca- 
tions. Starting  of  American  Theological  Review.  Departure  for 
Europe.     Letters  belonging  to  this  period Page  166 

CHAPTER   VII. 

SUMMER   IN    EUROPE. — 1859. 

Voyage.  Icebergs.  A  burial  at  sea.  Preaching  on  Sunday.  Ireland. 
Dublin.  Trinity  College.  Its  Library.  Phccnix  Park.  Irish  Histori- 
cal Rooms.  Giants'  Causeway,  Belfast,  Glasgow,  Loch  Katrine,  Tros- 
sachs,  Edinburgh,  etc.  Oxford,  Cambridge,  London,  Spurgeon,  Mau- 
rice, Westminster  Abbey,  Dean  Trench,  Dean  Milman,  House  of  Com- 
mons, etc.  Paris.  Geneva.  Vevay.  Pension  Genevriere.  Trip  to 
Italy.  Genoa.  Leghorn.  Florence.  Milan.  Return  to  Vevay.  The 
Rhine.  Basle.  Cologne.  Holland  and  its  Cities.  London.  Re- 
turn  Page  202 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

MEETINGS    OF    GENERAL    ASSEMBLY   IN   NETV   YORK,     PHILADEL- 
PHIA, DAYTON,  AND  ST.   LOUIS. — 1859-18GG. 

Tables  of  Church  History.  Variety  of  Work.  Memoir  of  Anson  G. 
Phelps,  Jr.  Revision  of  Ilagenbach's  History  of  Doctrines.  Address 
at  Bangor.  Journey  to  Moosehead  Lake.  Death  of  his  brother,  Fred- 
eric Southgate  Smith.  Ordination  Sermon  at  Hanover,  N.  H.  His 
Patriotism.  "British  Sympathy  with  America."  Lettei-s.  Death  of 
Professor  Edward  Robinson.  Revision  of  Stier's  "Words  of  the  Lord 
Jesus."  Moderator  of  General  Assembly  in  Philadelphia.  Reception 
of  Delegates  from  0.  S.  Assembly.  Summer  in  Maine.  Various  writ- 
ing and  lecturing.  Dr.  Allen's  eightieth  birthday.  Sermon  on  Chris- 
tian Union  and  Ecclesiastical  Reunion  before  the  General  Assembly  at 


Contents  of  Chapters. 


Dayton.  Other  work  in  Assembly.  His  "Declaration  on  Keunion 
sent  to  0.  S.  Assembly,  the  first  definite  step  toward  organic  Reunion." 
Address  on  Calvin.  Letters.  Generous  kindness  of  Mr,  Bancroft  and 
other  friends.  Literary  Addresses  at  Amherst  and  Western  Reserve 
Colleges.  Literary  work.  Letters.  Adirondaes.  General  Assembly 
at  St.  Louis.  Reports  on  Reunion.  Letter  to  Free  Church  of  Scot- 
land.    Report  on  State  of  the  Country.     Letters Page  223 

CHAPTEE  IX. 

GERMAKY   REVISITED. — 1866. 

Voyage.  Paris.  Cologne.  Berlin.  University.  Lecturers.  Halle.  Pro- 
fessor and  Mrs.  Tholuck.  Lecturers.  Leipsic.  Kahnis.  Tischendorf. 
Journeyings.  Godet.  Dr.  Mansel.  Voyage  Home.  Storm.  Accident. 
Return.  Letters.  Lecture  on  Germany  Revisited,  containing,  General 
observations.  Changes.  Cologne  Cathedral.  The  Rhine.  Berlin 
after  Prussian  Victories.  Twesten.  Trendelenburg.  Hengstenbcrg. 
More  Conservative  Tone  in  Theology  and  Philosophy.  Potsdam. 
Babelsberg.  Crown-Prince.  Halle,  Effects  of  the  War.  Professor 
and  Mrs.  Tholuck.  Julius  Miiller.  Leipsic.  Tischendorf.  Kahnis. 
Dresden.  Sistine  Madonna.  The  Wartburg.  Nuremberg.  Prussian  , 
Troops.     Switzerland.     "  Unfinished  Questions." Page  258 

CHAPTER  X. 

NEW  YORK. — 1867-1869.  —  "UNION  AND  REUNION." 

"Union  and  Reunion."  Report  for  General  Meeting  of  Evangelical  Alli- 
ance in  Amsterdam.  Reply  to  Princeton  Review  on  Reunion.  Phila- 
delphia Union  Convention.  Labors  for  Reunion.  General  Assembly 
in  Harrisburg.  Literary  work.  Letters.  Death  of  Rev.  Dr.  Allen. 
Letters.  Failing  health.  Letter  from  Students  of  Union  Seminary. 
Departure  for  Euope Page  275 

CHAPTER  XL 

EUROPE   AND  THE  EAST. — 1869-1870. 

Voyage.  Southampton.  Paris,  Hyeres.  Nice.  Naples.  Rome.  Flor- 
ence. Venice.  La  Tour.  Waldenses.  The  Simplon.  Zermatt.  The 
Bel  Alp.  Brigue.  St.  Moritz.  The  Engadine.  Ragatz.  Gersau. 
Rigi  Scheideck.  Decision  to  remain.  Heidelberg.  Arrival  of  his 
children.  Family  life  at  Heidelberg.  Lectures.  Excursions.  De- 
parture   for    the    East.      Munich.      Verona.      Ravenna.      Florence. 


Contents  of  Chapters.  xi 

Rome.  The  Council  and  Bishops.  Monte  Cassino,  Naples.  Sorrento. 
Capri.  Messina.  Alexandria.  Cairo.  The  Khedive.  Pyramids. 
Suez.  Camel-riding.  The  desert.  Mountain  ranges.  Mt.  Sinai. 
"Life  in  the  Desert."  Port  Said.  Jaffa.  Jerusalem.  Jericho.  The 
Jordan.  The  Dead  Sea.  Mar  Saba  Convent.  Jerusalem.  Mizpeh. 
Bethlehem.  Good  Friday  and  Easter  in  Jerusalem.  Bethel,  Storm. 
Shechem.  Mt.  Carmel.  Damascus.  Baalbak.  Beirut.  Arclii- 
pelago.  Cyprus.  Smyrna.  Constantinople.  Athens.  The  Adriatic. 
Trieste.  Vienna.  Munich.  Meeting  with  his  family.  Ober  Ammer- 
gau.  St.  Moritz.  The  war.  Lake  Lucerne.  Geneva.  Cologne. 
Antwerp.     London.     Chester.     Voyage  home Page  300 

CHAPTER  XII. 

LAST  YEARS.— 1870-1877. 

Work  resumed.  Fund  for  Professor  Tholuck's  Jubilee.  Death  of  Rev. 
Albert  Barnes  and  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner.  General  Assembly  in  Chicago. 
Trip  to  Kansas,  etc.  Preaching  again.  Presbyterian  Quarterly  and 
Princeton  Review.  Theological  and  Philosophical  Library.  Bible  Re- 
vision. Dr.  Hodge's  Semi-Centennial  Celebration.  Dollinger's  "Fables 
Respecting  the  Popes."  Letters.  Failing  health.  Meeting  of  Evan- 
gelical Alliance.  Lectures.  Clifton  Springs.  Resignation  of  his  Pro- 
fessorship. Letters.  Review  of  Strauss's  "New  Faith."  New  York, 
Clifton.  Chapel  exercises.  Summer  in  Maine.  Return  to  New  York 
and  to  Clifton  Springs.  Life  at  the  Sanitarium.  Letters.  Visits  to 
his  children.  His  brother's  fatal  illness.  Maine.  "Morituri  Saluta- 
mus."  President  "Woods,  Prout's  Neck.  New-Canaan,  Ct.  Lectures 
on  Apologetics  and  other  work.  Increased  feebleness.  Northampton. 
Return  to  New  York.  Lectures.  Death  of  his  brother.  Sorrow  upon 
Sorrow.  Summer  vacation.  Lectures  upon  Apologetics  again.  Even- 
ing church  services.  Evolution.  Appointment  to  Ely  Lectures.  Last 
sickness.     Death  Page  354 

CHAPTEE  XIII. 

FUNERAL  SERVICES. — 1877. 

Memorial  Service  in  the  Chapel  of  Madison  Square  Church.  Public  Services 
in  the  Church  of  the  Covenant.  Address  of  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss,  Ad- 
dress of  Rev.  Dr.  Goodwin.     Burial  at  Northampton Page  410 

APPENDIX. 

A. — Minority  Report  on  Roman  Catholic  Baptism,  1854 Page  429 

B.— Report  on  Slavery,  1857 "    433 


xii  Contents  of  Chapters. 

PAGE. 

C— Letter  to  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  1866 434 

D.— Report  of  the  Committee  on  Polity,  1866 438 

E. — Report  on  the  State  of  the  Country,  1866 439 

F. — Extracts  from  "  Reply  to  Princeton  Review"  1867 443 

G.— Address  at  the  Funeral  of  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner,  1871 452 

H. — Minute  of  Union  Theological  Seminary  on  the  Resignation  of  Pro- 
fessor Smith,  1874 457 

I .  — Action  of  Ministers  at  the  Chapel  of  Madison  Square  Church,  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1877  458 

J. — Extracts  from  Minute  of  Union  Theological  Seminary  on  the  Death 

of  Professor  Smith,  1877 462 

K.— Minute  of  Foui-th  Presbytery  of  New  York,  1877 465 

L.— Action  of  Chi  Alpha  of  New  York,  1877 466 

M. — Resolutions  of  Merrimac  Congregational  Church,  1877 467 


HEN'RY  BOYIs^TON  SMITH. 

HIS  LIFE  AND  WORK. 


CHAPTER  I. 

EARLY   LIFE. — 1815-1837. 

Henry  BoYNTOisr  Smith  was  born  in  Portland,  Maine, 
on  the  twenty-first  of  November,  1815. 

"And  what  is  this  Maine,  which  produces  men  like 
these?"  once  asked  Professor  Tholuck,  of  Halle.  The 
question  has  sometimes  needed  to  be  answered,  even  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic  ;  for  this  border  State,  with  its 
noble  scenery,  the  rough,  strong  virtues  of  its  country 
people,  and  the  quiet  culture  of  its  towns,  is  somewhat 
remote  from  the  central  current  of  affairs.  Yet  its  influ- 
ence has  been  mdely  felt  in  the  character  of  many  who 
have  gone  out  from  it  into  the  more  stirring  life  of  other 
States,  retaining  a  devoted  and  even  romantic  attach- 
ment for  their  early  home. 

No  city  on  our  coast  has  a  fairer  site  and  outlook  than 
Portland, 

*'  The  beautiful  town 
That  is  seated  by  the  sea." 

It  was  equally  conspicuous  in  former  days  for  the 
dignity  of  its  social  life — the  days  when  Payson  and 
Nichols    were    its    divines,   when    Henry    Wadsworth 
1  1 


2  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Longfellow  and  Grenville  Mellen  were  its  youthful 
poets,  and  their  fathers  were  among  its  Jurists,  and  when 
brilliant  and  cultured  men  like  John  Neal  and  Charles 
Stewart  Daveis  were  in  their  prime.  It  was  an  auspi- 
cious birthplace  whose  attractions  kept  their  hold 
through  life. 

Rev.  John  Smith,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  Henry 
Boynton,  was  born  in  Stonington,  Connecticut,  and  was 
a  graduate  of  Princeton  College  and  Seminary.  He  was 
for  many  years  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  in 
Dighton,  Massachusetts,  where  a  large  family  of  sons 
and  daughters  were  born.  In  1802  he  removed  as  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  vicinity  of  Canandaigua,  New  York,  to 
which  town  he  gave  six  thousand  acres  of  land  in  order 
to  found  a  seminary  of  learning.  Afterwards  he  lived 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  still  later  in  Kentucky.  Most  of 
his  children  found  homes  in  Kentucky  and  Illinois. 
One  of  his  brothers  was  Rev.  Isaac  Smith,  for  more  than 
twenty  years  the  minister  of  Gilmanton,  New  Hamp- 
shire, from  its  first  settlement ;  another,  was  Judge 
Smith  of  Plainfield,  New  Hampshire,  for  some  years  a 
trustee  of  Dartmouth  College.  Numerous  descendants 
of  still  another  brother  remain  in  Norwich  and  Plain- 
field,  Connecticut,  among  the  well-known  families  of 
Coits,  Lanmans,  and  Huntingtons. 

In  the  large  family  of  Rev.  John  Smith,  the  only  son 
who  remained  in  New  England  was  Henry,  the  father 
of  Professor  Smith.  He  became  a  successful  merchant 
in  Portland,  where  he  lived  many  years,  admired  and 
esteemed  for  his  fine  personal  qualities,  and  for  his 
high  character.  He  was  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
and  of  the  most  delicate  sense  of  honor  and  courtesy. 
After  the  failure,  from  no  fault  of  his  own,  of  the  busi- 
ness firm  to  which  he  belonged,  he  lived,  for  years,  in 
the  straitest  economy,  in  order  to  pay,  to  their  full 
amount,  debts  of  the  firm,  for  which  it  was  not  legally 
liable.    He  was  an  intelligent,  public-spirited  man,  with 


Early  Life.  3 

a  liigli  appreciation  of  scholarship,  and  he  eagerly  gave 
his  sons  every  possible  advantage  of  education.  Later 
in  life,  after  his  pecuniary  losses,  he  superintended  a 
manufacturing  establishment  in  the  village  of  Saccarap- 
pa,  seven  mUes  from  Portland.  There  he  maintained  an 
unusual  care  over  the  conduct  and  morals  of  his  little 
community,  admitting  no  one  to  his  employ  who  had 
not  signed  the  temi^erance  pledge.  As  a  father,  he  set 
a  high  standard  for  his  sons  and  made  strict  require- 
ments of  them,  while  he  was  always  companionable  and 
tenderly  affectionate. 

His  wife,  the  mother  of  Henry  B.  Smith,  was  Arixene 
Southgate,  the  daughter  of  Robert  Southgate,  and  the 
granddaughter  of  Richard  King,  both  of  Scarborough, 
near  Portland.  The  "History  of  Scarboro"  gives  the 
following  account  of  Judge  Southgate  :* 

''  The  late  Hon.  Robert  Southgate  was  distinguished  for  acute 
and  discriminating  intellectual  powers.  He  originated  in  Lei- 
cester, Mass.,  and  established  himself  here  before  the  Eevohi- 
tion,  as  a  physician.  In  this  profession  he  stood  pre-eminent, 
but  he  relinquished  the  practice  at  the  close  of  the  last  century, 
being  then  appointed  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas ; 
and,  although  not  bred  a  lawyer,  but  self-educated,  he  honored 
and  dignified  the  office  by  his  good,  sound  sense,  and  was  highly 
esteemed  both  by  the  bar  and  the  public. 

'*  He  was  simple  and  plain  in  his  manners,  of  easy  access, 
social  in  interview,  but  rather  severely  laborious  in  his  life.  No 
individual  in  town  ever  performed  more  labor  in  the  same  period 
of  time,  or  made  greater  improvements  in  husbandry  than 
Judge  Southgate.  Agriculture  was  his  delight.  Few  of  his 
day  better  understood  the  adaptation  of  seeds  to  soils.  Inde- 
pendent in  property,  he  still  devoted  himself  to  all  the  duties  of 
a  practical  farmer,  even  in  old  age.  He  was  consulted  by  the 
inhabitants  in  all  their  difiiculties,  both  public  and  private,  who 
always  found  his  responses  faithful  and   true.      His  advice, 

*  From  the  manuscript  notes  of  Rev.  Nathan  T.  Tilton. 


4  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

always  gratuitously  bestowed,  saved  them  hundreds  of  vexatious 
lawsuits.  Hence  the  remark  became  proverbial,  that  no  lawyer 
could  live  by  his  profession  in  Scarborough  while  Judge  South- 
gate  survived.  In  one  point  of  view  he  stood  perhaps  without 
a  parallel,  for  he  held  a  commission  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
nearly  forty  years,  and  no  case  of  the  many  decided  by  him  was 
ever  known  to  be  tried  at  a  higher  court.  Having  survived  his 
wife  and  eleven  of  twelve  children,  he  closed  his  earthly  career, 
November  2,  1833,  literally  worn  down  by  the  weight  and  toil 
of  ninety-two  long  but  useful  years.  Scarborough  may  never 
see  his  like  again." 

Judge  Southgate's  wife,  the  grandmother  of  Professor 
Smith,  was  Mary  King,  the  sister  of  Rnfus  King,  the 
statesman  and  diplomatist,  and  the  half  sister  of  Wil- 
liam King,  the  first  Governor  of  Maine.  One  of  her  sis- 
ters was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  President  Nathan  Lord  of 
Dartmouth  College,  and  another  was  the  mother  of 
Harriet  Porter,  the  second  wife  of  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher. 
Mrs.  Southgate  had  the  strong  mind  and  character 
which  pertained  to  her  family,  united  with  gentle,  lady- 
lil^e  manners,  and  a  heart  of  large  charities. 

Richard  King,  their  father,  was  born  in  England. 
He  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  his  day,  from  his 
wealth  and  his  long  and  faithful  jjublic  services,  as  well 
as  for  his  strong  personal  character.  He  was  unjustly 
suspected  of  Tory  jmnciples,  and  the  excitement  against 
him  was  at  one  time  so  great,  that  his  house  was 
mobbed,— but,  according  to  the  statement  of  one  of  his 
granddaughters,  there  was  no  firmer  foundation  for 
this  suspicion  than  the  facts  that  he  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, and  that,  foreseeing  the  embargo,  he  had  filled  his 
barns  with  grain  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor.  It  is  said 
of  him  that  he  was  ' '  a  man  of  great  energy  and  indus- 
try, a  great  reader,  in  public  life  honored  and  esteemed, 
andin  private  life  beloved," — "a  ClirisUangentlemanr* 

*  History  of  Scarborough. 


Early  Life.  5 

The  unpretending  old  house  of  Richard  King  was  still 
showTi,  at  Dunstan's  Landing,  Scarborough,  until  1878, 
when  it  was  taken  down.  About  half  a  mile  distant 
stands  the  more  commodious  brick  house,  built  by 
Judge  Southgate,  on  a  wooded  rise  of  ground,  com- 
manding a  wide  outlook  over  the  farm  and  woodlands, 
and  the  salt  marshes  which  reach  to  Saco  Bay.  This 
pleasant  home  was  inherited  and  kept  by  his  oldest 
son,  Horatio,  after  whose  death,  in  1864,  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  strangers. 

Here  grew  up  a  large  family  of  sons  and  daughters. 
Of  the  latter,  Hon.  William  Willis,  the  historian  of 
Portland,  wTote  :  "  They  were  renowned  for  beauty  and 
grace,  and  were  everywhere  the  observed  of  all  observ- 
ers." Mary,  who  died  in  her  beautiful  youth,  was  the 
wife  of  Grenville  Mellen ;  Eliza,  whose  loveliness  is 
shown  in  one  of  Malbone's  finest  miniatures,  was  the 
wife  of  Hon.  Walter  Bowne,  at  one  time  Mayor  of  New 
York.  Most  of  the  others  married  in  Portland.  Their 
brother  Frederick  died  while  a  tutor  in  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege, leaving  a  memory  which  is  still  fragrant.  A  row 
of  white  head-stones  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Scarborough 
marks  the  graves  of  some  of  this  household,  who  were 
early  cut  down  by  the  same  destroyer,  consumption. 

Arixene  Southgate  is  described  as  singularly  beautiful 
in  person,  with  a  calm  dignity  of  manner,  and  a  lovely 
yet  strong  character.  From  the  time  when  she  was  a 
school-girl  in  Boston,  she  was  the  object  of  ardent  admi- 
ration. She  was  the  mother  of  five  boys,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  Henry  was  the  oldest  of  the  three  who 
survived  her;  he  was  five  years  old  when  she  died. 
Her  last  days  were  triumphant  in  Christian  faith.  Her 
habitual  reserve  gave  way  to  rapturous  expressions  of 
love  to  Christ,  and  hope  in  Him.  A  few  days  before  her 
death,  she  asked  to  have  her  three  little  sons  brought 
to  her,  and,  as  she  sat  in  her  bed,  supported  by  pillows, 
she  clasped  her  arms  around  them  all  at  once,  and  sol- 


6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

emnly  gave  tliem  to  God.  Although  she  lived  for  sev- 
eral days  afterward,  she  declined  to  see  them  again. 
"  Never,"  said  the  clergyman  who  attended  her,  "  did  I 
see  a  face  more  radiant  with  Heaven's  peace  and  joy 
than  hers."  She  died  in  1820,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven. 

Her  place  was  filled,  four  years  afterward,  by  one  who 
has  survived  the  three  sons  whom  she  trained  with  the 
wisest  and  most  faithful  care,  which  was  repaid  with 
rare  filial  devotion.  This  second  mother,  Sally  May- 
nard,  was  bom  on  the  island  of  St.  Croix,  but  came, 
when  a  child,  with  her  father' s  family  to  Boston.  For 
several  years  in  her  youth  her  home  was  at  Scarbor- 
ough, where  she  became  an  intimate  friend  of  the  South- 
gate  family.  "When  I  came  home  to  them,"  said  she, 
' '  their  father  brought  Horatio,  then  four  years  old,  and 
placed  him  in  my  lap.  Then  he  led  Henry  and  Fred- 
erick to  me,  one  by  each  hand,  and  said,  with  a  trembling 
voice,  '  Train  them  for  Christ.'  " 

Thus  began  a  relation,  which  had  the  strongest  and 
happiest  influence  upon  Henry's  character  and  life.  His 
mother  guided  him  in  his  studies,  entered  into  his  inter- 
ests, and  watched  his  moral  growth  with  prayerful  love. 
She  was  his  most  interesting  companion  and  his  most 
intimate  friend.     Her  own  words  will  best  tell  the  story. 

"There  is  little  to  record  of  Henry's  cliildhood,"  writes  his 
mother.  ''  Where  everything  was  so  pure,  obedient,  and  excel- 
lent, there  is  little  that  stands  out  prominently.  We  expected 
everything  of  him. 

"  He  was  nine  years  old  when  I  became  his  mother ;  a 
bright,  beautiful  boy,  gentle,  good-tempered,  obedient  and  love- 
ly ;  so  fond  of  reading  that  we  found  it  difficult  to  induce  him 
to  take  sufficient  exercise,  and  had  to  resort  to  many  expedients 
to  keep  him  from  books.  His  father  told  me  that  Henry  could 
read  correctly  before  any  one  knew  that  he  had  learned  the 
alphabet.  He  read  well  when  four  years  old.  His  first  teacher, 
Mrs.  Kachel  Neal,  mother  of  Mr.  John  Neal,  said  :     '  That  boy 


Early  Life.  7 

learns  everything  without  any  teaching  ! '  lie  went  next  to  the 
public  school,  Mr.  Joseph  Libby  being  teacher.  At  both  these 
schools  he  was  recognized  as  '  a  remarkable  scholar.'  I  think 
that  he  went  to  the  Portland  Academy  soon  after  he  was  ten 
years  old,  Mr.  B.  Cushman,  Principal,  where  he  was  soon  distin- 
guished in  all  branches  of  study,  and  also  for  his  amiable  dispo- 
sition and  the  loveliness  of  his  deportment.  He  made  rapid 
progress  in  all  his  studies.  At  home  he  was  always  kind,  affec- 
tionate, and  obliging.  He  studied  in  the  family  sitting-room,  at 
the  table  at  which  we  were  all  seated  talking  and  often  some  one 
reading  aloud  an  interesting  book ;  it  never  seemed  to  disturb 
him,  though,  after  he  finished  his  lessons,  he  would  often  repeat 
to  us  parts  of  what  we  had  said  or  read.  (We  did  not  give  him 
a  room  to  himself,  as  our  object  was  to  keejD  him  from  reading 
and  studying  too  much.)  He  read  everything,  every  book  and 
paper  that  he  could  find  ;  we  could  not  restrain  him.  When  he 
found  anything  that  especially  pleased  him,  he  w^ould  follow  me 
all  over  the  house  to  read  it  to  me  :  he  craved  sympathy.  He 
read  rapidly  ;  he  said  to  me,  '  How  is  it  that  I  often  read  sixty 
pages  in  an  hour,  and  yet,  when  I  try,  it  always  takes  me  more 
than  a  minute  to  read  a  page  ?  '  He  read  understandingly,  and 
remembered  with  wonderful  accuracy,  his  perceptions  were  so 
quick  and  his  memory  so  retentive.  He  said  to  mo  once  :  '  It 
seems  to  me  that  I  have  boxes  in  my  head  where  I  put  things  to 
remember,  and  shut  them  up  and  open  each  one  when  I  want 
the  thing  in  it.'  His  power  of  abstraction  and  concentration 
was  very  discernible  even  at  that  early  age.  He  attended  a 
course  of  lectures  upon  History,  given  by  a  Miss  Clarke  in  Port- 
land— he  was  about  eleven  then,  and  when  he  came  home  he  used 
to  write  all  he  remembered  of  the  lecture,  writing  in  the  midst  of 
the  talking,  laughing,  etc.,  going  on.  It  became  quite  a  book, 
and  he  told  me  (within  the  last  three  years)  that  he  had  used 
those  notes  in  his  own  historical  lectures,  and  found  them  very- 
serviceable.  When  he  was  thirteen  he  had  assigned  him  a  dis- 
cussion on  the  subject  or  question,  '  Which  has  the  most  influ- 
ence in  society,  Avealth  or  knowledge  ? '  Mr.  John  Neal,  then 
recently  returned  from  Europe,  and  much  interested  in  the  cause 
of  education  in  his  native  city,  was  present,  with  several  other 
gentlemen  of  education  and  discrimination.    Mr.  Neal  came  to  me 


8  Henry  Boynton  Sinith. 

the  next  day,  and,  in  liis  earnest  way,  bluntly  charged  me  with 
having  *  helped  the  boy  ;  no  boy  of  his  age  could  write  that.  It 
would  do  credit  to  any  man — such  an  amount  of  reading — such 
apt  quotations.  We  were  all  astonished.'  I  assured  Mr.  Neal 
that  Henry  wrote  it  all  at  the  table  where  we  all  talked  or  read ; 
that  he  never  asked  for  help  and  no  one  ever  thouglit  of  offering 
any ;  that  it  was  all  done  in  two  evenings,  and  delivered  from 
the  first  and  only  copy  he  made.  I  asked  Henry  how  he  could 
write  so  fast  and  without  pausing  to  think.  He  replied,  'I  had 
it  all  laid  out  in  my  liead  before  I  began  to  write.'  Henry  was 
always  interested  in  politics  and  used  to  hold  discussions  with  his 
father  ;  he  was  always  modest,  never  put  himself  forward,  but 
ready,  if  called  upon,  to  say  what  he  thought.  He  meditated, 
studied  everything,  was  usually  serious,  but  when  at  play  as 
animated  and  noisy  as  other  boys.  I  think  his  childhood  was 
happy.  He  was  our  blessing,  pride  and  joy.  He  was  generally 
well,  but  never  strong.  His  memory  Avas  marvelous ;  he  never 
forgot  anything  that  had  any  interest  for  him.  I  am  confident 
that  he  would  have  been  a  student  and  a  scholar  under  any  cir- 
cumstances. His  delight  in  reading  and  studying  was  absorbing, 
as  was  his  industry.  A  minister  who  was  visiting  us  asked  him, 
*  What  would  you  do  if  you  were  left  on  a  desert  island  and  had 
no  books  ? '  Henry  promptly  replied,  '  If  I  had  any  writing  ma- 
terials I  would  write  every  verse  or  sentence  from  the  Bible  I 
have  ever  read,  and  I  think  I  could  remember  a  great  deal.'  He 
was  about  ten  then,  and  was  in  the  habit  of  committing,  daily, 
portions  of  Scripture,  often  whole  chapters,  to  memory.  I  be- 
came convinced  of  his  remarkable  intellectual  power  soon  after 
he  came  under  my  care,  and  made  earnest  prayer  that  it  might 
be  consecrated  to  the  service  of  Christ.  His  own  mother  on  her 
deathbed,  solemnly  and  consciously  gave  her  three  boys  to  God, 
and  this  made  me  feel  strong  in  faith  when  pleading  for  them. 
During  his  last  year  in  college,  he  gave  by  request  an  address  on 
Temperance  in  Saccarappa.  I  think  it  was  his  first  public  effort, 
and  he  asked  his  father  to  go  up  into  the  pulpit  with  him  (being 
overcome  with  diffidence)  when  he  entered  the  church.  He  was 
eighteen  then.  He  was  converted  soon  after,  and  in  that  year 
dedicated  himself  to  God  in  his  service  as  a  minister." 


Early  Life.  g 

We  place  with  this  his  father's  record  of  him  when  he 
was  a  few  years  older : 

"  His  natural  powers  are  of  the  first  order,  his  acquisitions 
greater  than  any  other  person's  I  ever  knew  of  at  his  age.  He 
writes  with  great  purity  and  with  strength.  Metaphysics  and 
philosophy  are  the  subjects  best  adapted  to  his  tastes.  .  .  . 
He  is  an  humble  and  devoted  Christian,  and  withal  very  child- 
like and  simple  in  his  conduct,  never  angry  and  never  unkind  or 
forbidding.  Everybody  loves  him.  ...  He  makes  warm 
and  attached  friends  wherever  he  goes.  ...  I  think  he 
will,  by-and-by,  be  a  professor  in  some  theological  or  literary 
institution  ;  that  he  will  be  a  maker  of  books  I  have  no  doubt." 

The  earliest  of  his  writings  which  are  preserved 
are  school-boy  compositions  in  the  form  of  letters  to 
his  teacher,  giving  an  account  of  his  vacations.  Two 
of  these  were  written  in  his  twelfth  year  ;  half  a  dozen 
others,  some  in  Latin,  bear  dates  of  the  two  following 
years.  They  tell  the  same  story,  of  pleasant  visits  with 
his  brothers  to  his  grandfather  ;  of  rising  at  half-past 
five,  of  reading  before  breakfast  and  at  intervals  during 
the  day  ;  of  busy  occupation,  farm  work,  trips  to  the 
sea-side,  bathing,  swimming,  picking  wild  strawberries, 
"four  quarts  in  half  an  hour,"  stowing  hay,  and  walks 
and  games  with  his  cousins. 

When  a  school-boy  of  fourteen,  he  kept  a  journal, 
which  closed  with  the  account  of  his  admission  to  college 
before  he  was  fifteen.  "  Such  was  my  earnestness  upon 
this  subject,"  he  writes,  "that  ever  since  the  project 
came  into  my  head,  I  have  literally  thought  and  dreamt 
of  nothing  else  ;  and  here  I  am  up  at  five  o'clock,  this 
twenty-third  day  of  July,  1830,  sitting  at  my  desk  in  my 
chamber,  Avriting  a  preface  to  it." 

The  journal  is  a  remarkable  record  of  a  boy's  thoughts 
and  aspirations,  mingled  with  well-told  incidents  and 
anecdotes,  with  criticisms  of  books,  persons,  and  politi- 
cal events,  and  with  long  quotations  of  poetry.     "On 


lO  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

the  same  day  that  I  began  this  journal,  as  they  say  that 
good  deeds  go  hand  in  hand,  I  likewise  made  a  book  to 
note  the  passages  that  struck  me  as  being  the  best  and 
most  beautiful  in  the  works  (prose)  which  I  peruse." 
This  was,  apparently,  the  beginning  of  his  habit  of 
making  extracts,  which  grew  during  his  life  to  a  vast 
accumulation. 

From  Ms  Journal : 

July  31,  1830. 

Saturday  is  a  day  which  by  all  schoolboys  is  greeted  with 
joy,  because  it  is  a  half -holiday.  I  can  well  remember  the  feel- 
ings with  which  I  anxiously  expected  its  return,  for  the  purpose 
of  flying  my  kite  in  the  pasture,  or  playing  with  my  ball,  or 
wandering  through  the  woods  with  some  of  my  companions, 
either  to  gather  wild  flowers,  or,  with  a  basket  on  my  arm,  to 
]3ick  blueberries,  raspberries,  or  strawberries.  Now  it  is  time 
for  me  to  hail  its  return  for  something  beyond  these  childish 
amusements  ;  as  a  season  of  reading  some  useful  or  entertaining 
books,  or  writing  or  studying  some  of  my  lessons  for  another 
day.  My  time  is  now  to  me  too  precious  to  be  idled  or  frittered 
away  in  every  amusement  Avhich  may  chance  to  come  before  me. 

Monday,  August  IG,  1830. 

At  the  Sunday-school  yesterday  afternoon  we  had  a  new  kind 
of  lesson.  We  were  required  to  take  a  particular  text  of  Scrip- 
ture which  Mr.  Willis  (our  teacher)  assigned  to  us  last  Sunday, 
and  write  a  sermon  and  make  some  remarks  upon  it.  Fred  and 
I  were  the  only  persons  in  the  class  who  did  it.  Dr.  Nichols 
came  down  to  the  pew  just  as  Mr.  Willis  had  finished  reading 
mine,  and  Mr.  Willis  handed  it  to  him  and  asked  if  he  would 
not  like  to  look  it  over.  Dr.  Nichols  took  it  and  I  immediately 
jumped  up  and  begged  him  not  to  read  it.  He,  however,  per- 
sisted in  it  and  read  it  through,  and  when  he  returned  it,  said 
that  it  was  a  very  good  piece,  and  that  the  ideas  were  well  col- 
lected and   sorted   (as  a  barrel  of  fish  I  suppose,  pell-mell).* 

*This  sermon  is  still  preserved.  The  text  is  :  "Be  not  deceived  :  God  is 
not  mocked  ;  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  tliat  shall  he  also  reap." 


Early  Life.  il 

Coming  home  from  meeting,  I  saw  Judge  Mellen  and  father  a 
little  ahead,  and  came  up  with  them.  After  some  conversation 
the  honorable  judge  said  to  father  : 

"  When  is  this  young  gentleman  of  yours  going  to  college  ?" 

Fatlier.  "We  intend  to  send  him  this  autumn,  but  keep  him 
at  home,  and  let  him  pursue  his  studies  here  one  year." 

"  Plague  on  it,"  thouglit  I. 

Judge.  "I  do  not  know  but  that  will  be  a  good  plan." 
Turning  to  me  he  said,  "You  must  come  out  with  the  English 
oration  :  "  turning  to  father,  he  said,  "  That  will  depend  upon 
three  things  :  first,  his  character  and  morals,  wliicli  are  very 
good  now,  and  will  I  have  no  doubt  continue  so  ;  secondly,  his 
scholarship,  which  is,  I  understand,  now  very  good,  and  which 
will  be  better  in  college,  I  hope  ;  and,  thirdly,  the  discernment 
of  the  government  in  making  a  right  decision." 

Would  to  God  that  it  could  so  happen  ! — that  my  character 
should  remain  fair  and  unstained,  that  my  scholarsliip  should  be 
of  the  first  order, — tliese  two  depend  upon  myself — and  lastly, 
that  the  government  should  have  the  sense  to  appreciate  my 
merit  (if  I  had  any)  !  Then  would  my  day-dreams  of  honor 
be  partly  accomplished — and  only  partly — of  this  more  here- 
after. 


August  9,  1830. 

Last  evening,  father,  aided  by  a  few  of  mother's  interlarda- 
tions,  gave  me  quite  a  lecture  upon  trifling,  and  spending  so 
much  of  my  time  upon  trifling  amusements  and  occupations, 
and  smirking  and  smiling  so  much  in  meeting  and  elsewhere. 
Mother  said  that  whoever  spoke  of  me,  whatever  else  they 
might  say,  almost  invariably  concluded  with,  '^'but  he  trifles 
rather  too  much."  Is  my  reputation  as  a  trifler — one  of  the 
most  low  and  contemptible  of  beings — established  ?  I  can  hardly 
think  that  such  is  the  case.  "Has  it  come  to  this  ?"  Father 
likewise  added  that  my  instructor,  Mr.  Cushman,  told  him  that 
I  was  in  the  habit,  formerly  more  than  at  jiresent,  of  smiling 
and  laughing  whenever  he  made  any  of  his  everlasting  re- 
marks. I — inwardly,  of  course — determined  to  invoke  to  my 
assistance  the  genius  of  reform  ;  and  with  the  aid  of  this  truly 


12  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

benevolent  personage  to  pursue  a  different  and  better  course. 
Laboring  under  this  determination  I  entered  school.  The  piece 
we  read  was  an  extract  detailing  the  sufferings  of  a  schoolmaster, 
and  so,  as  the  piece  in  some  parts  happened  to  come  pretty 
aprojDos  to  the  boys,  Mr.  Cushman  would  repeat  what  they  read 
after  them  in  a  very  impressive  tone  and  manner.  After  the 
piece  was  done  he  began  to  make  a  "few  remarks,"  and  in  the 
course  of  them  managed  to  introduce  something  about  myself, 
blaming  me,  although  he  did  not  mention  my  name,  yet  every 
one  knew  what  "poor  devil"  he  meant.  Now,  was  not  this 
provoking  ?  In  the  morning  I  had  come  in  with  a  full  deter- 
mination to  do  better,  and  not  smile  so  much  in  school.  I  came 
into  the  school-house,  went  through  with  great  order  and  pro- 
priety my  reading-lesson,  when  the  first  thing  that  assailed  my 
astonished  ears — "  omnes  conticuere  " — was  a  charge  for  inat- 
tention. This  was  enough  to  overthrow  any  resolution  that 
ever  was  made,  and  to  destroy  the  patience  even  of  a  Job.  With- 
out provocation,  without  the  least  reason  to  set  his  "dreadful 
ire  "  on  fire, 

"  There  came  a  crash  of  thunder  sound, 
The  boy,  oh  !  where  was  he  ?  " 

Seated  at  his  desk  studying  his  lessons,  as  if  nothing  more  than 
common  was  going  on.  I  declare  I  was  almost  tempted  to  per- 
severe in  my  former  course,  but  thought  upon  more  mature  re- 
flection that  I  would  persevere  in  my  determination,  and  ac- 
cordingly behaved  quite  well  for  the  rest  of  that  day. 

He  entered  Bowdoin  College  in  liis  fifteenth  year,  1830. 
One  of  his  classmates  recalls  him  as  a  slight,  delicate, 
refined  boy,  gentle  and  affectionate,  full  of  fun  as  well 
as  of  scholarly  earnestness.  He  was  called  "  Little 
Smith"  in  distinction  from  his  classmate  "  Big  Smith," 
who  was  his  ardent  friend  and  champion.  His  ex- 
tremely youthful  appearance,  his  overflowing  spirits, 
and  his  winning  social  traits  might  have  made  him  a 
sure  victim  to  evil  companionship,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  strong  safeguards  of  home,   and  of  a  friendship 


Early  Life,  13 

formed  early  in  his  college  course,  and  never,  through 
life,  weakened.  His  brother  Frederick,  who  was  his 
room-mate  during  the  latter  part  of  his  college  life, 
wrote  :  "I  suspect  that  we  receive  more  letters  from 
home,  and  write  home  oftener  than  any  other  two  boys 
in  college." 

At  the  sophomore  exhibition  of  oratory  in  1832,  he 
spoke  what  he  once  said  was  "the  only  j^iece  of  poetry 
he  ever  wTote" — a  translation  into  blank  verse  of  Vir- 
gil's episode  of  Orpheus  and  Eurydice.  His  themes 
in  his  Junior  year  indicate  his  metaphysical  tendency. 
He  wrote  of  them  afterward  that  the  professor  could 
not  understand  them,  neither  could  he  himself,  yet  he 
felt  that  there  was  a  truth  at  the  bottom. 

We  come  now  to  the  most  important  turning-point  in 
his  history.  During  the  winter  and  spring  of  1834,  in 
his  senior  year,  there  was  a  special  religious  interest  in 
Bowdoin  College.  For  several  months  previously,  his 
mind  had  been  in  an  unusually  thoughtful,  inquiring 
state,  so  that  he  was  already  disposed  to  feel  the  new 
influence.  Soon  he  became  an  earnest  seeker  after  sal- 
vation. But,  at  iirst,  his  mind  w^as  harassed  by  so  many 
doubts  and  difficulties,  that  he  seemed  to  himself  to 
make  but  little  progress.  Some  of  his  perplexities  were 
of  a  theological  character ;  others  grew  out  of  his  pecu- 
liar intellectual  habits  and  temperament.  His  early 
training  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Ichabod  Nichols, 
D.D.,  had  led  him  to  regard  as  irrational  the  doctrines 
of  orthodoxy,  and  to  question  the  reality  of  any  such 
spiritual  change  as  conversion.  On  this  subject,  how- 
ever, his  opinions  were  already  unsettled.  "I  have 
long  doubted  Unitarianism,"  he  wrote  (at  this  time)  to 
a  friend.  Various  causes,  indeed,  had  conspired  to 
weaken  his  prejudices  against  the  Trinitarian  (Evangel- 
ical) system,  and  to  pave  the  way  to  its  hearty  accept- 
ance. 

At  length,  after  a  severe  struggle,  yielding  all  his  ob- 


14  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

jections,  lie  gave  himself  np  gladly  and  without  ^'eserve 
to  the  service  of  his  divine  Redeemer.  This  act  of  self- 
consecration  he  ever  after  regarded  as  the  beginning  of 
his  true  spiritual  life.  A  few  extracts  from  his  letters 
will  best  indicate  the  workings  of  his  mind  during  this 
eventful  period.     He  wrote  to  his  parents :  * 

BowDoiN  College,  March  22,  1834. 

.  .  .  I  have  had  several  conversations  with  Hamlin,  and 
last  evening  Professor  Upliam  came  in,  and  we  conversed  a  long 
while.  I  stated  to  him,  fully  and  explicitly,  my  doubts,  fears, 
hopes,  and,  in  fine,  my  situation  in  every  respect,  and  he  talked 
to  me  calmly  and  reasonably.  I  am  to  see  him  again  this  after- 
noon. I  have  many  friends  here  who  are  interested  in  me  ;  my 
judgment  and  reason  are  convinced,  and  I  have  resolved  to  de- 
vote one  hour  each  day  to  the  subject — to  seek  if  I  may  find.  I 
know  that  there  will  not  be  much  heart  in  the  business  at  first, 
but  I  must  and  will  persevere. 

April  Qtli. — I  do  not  feel  that  I  have  made  any  advances  in 
my  spiritual  condition,  though  I  think  that  God  has  given  me 
grace  to  persevere  thus  far.  My  difficulties  have  been  as  many 
as  there  are  evil  thoughts  in  my  heart.  But  the  bell  for  prayers 
is  ringing,  and  I  must  go  to  endeavor  to  obtain  some  peace  and 
joy  among  the  many  Christians  who  are  zealously  devoted  to 
their  Master's  cause. 

After  meeting. — The  revival  here  has  operated  wonderfully ; 
no  excitement,  no  threatenings ;  calmness,  love  and  peace  are 
prevalent.  ...  I  feel  a  want  of  faith,  of  full  confidence 
in  my  Eedeemer,  and  yet  I  know  how  lovely  is  his  character, 
and  how  worthy  of  supreme  love.  I  will  not  falter.  I  am  now 
the  Lord's  whether  He  blesses  me  or  not.  This  solemn  deter- 
mination is  registered  in  my  heart. 

His  father,  on  forwarding  this  letter  to  his  mother, 

*  It  is  thought  undesirable  to  indicate  all  the  omissions  in  the  letters  of 
Professor  Smith,  of  which  few  are  given  in  full.  In  a  very  few  instances, 
in  order  to  avoid  repetition,  passages  have  been  transferred  from  one  letter 
to  another  of  similar  date,^but  always  without  change  in  their  import. 


Early  Life.  15 

wrote  on  it  in  pencil:  "Write  him  at  length  and  en- 
couragingly. I  think  he  is  correct  in  attributing  his  pro- 
tracted state  of  doubts  to  his  speculative  habits  ;  but  all 
such  hindrances  will  be  uprooted,  and  he  will  stand  on 
stronger  ground." 

My  dear  parents : 

BowDOiN  College,  April  9,   1834. 

Last  night  and  this  morning  my  heart  lias  been  rejoiced  by 
the  letters  I  have  received  from  you.  ,  .  .  My  determination 
to  seek  religion  was  formed  solely  in  consequence  of  my  com- 
plete persuasion  of  its  reasonableness.  I  did  not  -feel  my  need 
of  it.  After  I  had  formed  my  determination  (and  in  do- 
ing that,  my  dear  mother,  your  letter  written  three  weeks 
ago  was  a  great  inducement),  I  wished,  sensibly  wished,  that  I 
might  have  more  deep  and  sincere  feeling  of  my  own  sinful- 
ness, so  that  I  might  know  my  need  of  a  Saviour.  .  .  .  For 
some  time  I  was  anxiously  inquiring  what  to  do,  of  God,  and  of 
myself.  .  .  .  So  I  went  to  work,  performing  my  duty  so  far 
as  I  knew,  praying  for  light  and  love,  having  God  before  me 
always,  and  his  approbation  my  motive  of  thought  and  action, 
feeling  full  reliance  upon  Christ  for  pardon,  and  having  my 
soul  lifted  up  as  it  were  into  his  presence.  ...  I  talked  with 
Professor  Upham  about  the  Trinity.  Of  one  thing  I  feel  as- 
sured, that  I  need  an  infinite  Saviour.  Further  than  that, 
may  the  Lord  in  his  mercy  and  wisdom  guide  me  !  My  preju- 
dices were  fixed  in  regard  to  this  point  as  well  as  to  the  innate 
sinfulness  of  man.  On  the  latter  jDoint  I  am  convinced.  As  to 
the  former,  I  know  nothing  but  that  Christ  is  my  Eedeemer 
and  has  atoned  for  my  sins.  ...  I  should  like  to  spend  all 
the  day  in  writing  to  you.  Do  continue  your  prayers,  my  dear 
parents,  that  I  may  be  strengthened  in  every  good  word  and 
work. 

Affectionately  your  son,  with  new  ties  of  love  and  motives  for 
obedience,  Henry  B.  Smith. 

To  his  parents : 

BowDoiN  College,  April  20,  1834. 

I  have  been,  I  do  believe,  gradually  obtaining  clearer  views  of 
Scripture,  of  God,  of  Christ,  and  of  myself.     I  have  had  many 


1 6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

times  of  disquiet,  of  temptation ;  many  great  conflicts  with  my 
heart,  more  knowledge  of  its  wickedness,  more  necessity  of  rely- 
ing upon  my  Saviour.  I  am  determined  to  set  my  standard  of 
Christian  character  high,  and,  trusting  in  God  for  his  ever-ready 
assistance,  to  go  forward  and  do  all  my  duty. 

April  "l^tli. — The  thought  has  sometimes  come  across  me  that 
I  was  too  hasty  in  writing  to  you  about  going  to  Andover.  But 
the  more  I  think  about  my  future  course  of  life,  the  more  con- 
vinced do  I  feel  that  I  must  take  up  the  service  of  my  Redeemer. 
With  my  present  feelings — and  I  pray  ardently  tliat  they  may 
continue — I  do  not  think  that  I  could  be  contented  in  any  other 
situation.  Still  I  would  not  be  hasty  over  much,  but  I  would 
not  be  irresolute.  I  am  so  near  the  end  of  my  college  course 
that  I  must  frequently  think  about  my  future  j)rospects,  and 
these  are  always  associated  with  my  religious  feelings.  But 
whatever  course  may  appear  right,  that  I  am  determined  to 
pursue. 

In  regard  to  his  letters  written  at  this  period  his  friend 
Mr.  Goodwin*  writes : 

"  They  contain  the  most  important  jDoints  of  his  religious  his- 
tory, its  quiet  beginning,  its  fair  development,  its  pure  and 
ardent  and  beautiful  and  loving  character.  It  is  interesting  to 
see  how,  and  how  rapidly,  Henry's  mind  grew  and  matured,  and 
how  religion,  which  was  to  him  the  love  of  his  Saviour,  infused 
into  him  new  life  and  vigor,  and  at  the  same  time  wonderfully 
ripened  and  steadied  his  powers." 

At  the  close  of  a  long  letter  to  Mr.  G.  L.  Prentiss,  dated 
April  26th,  he  writes  : 

I  think,  if  afUr  writing  me  (my  selfishness  would  say,  but,  as 

your  benevolence  would  dictate  so  do),  you  should  write  [a 

classmate]  a  letter,  it  would  really  be  consoling  to  him.     He 

*Rev.  Daniel  R.  Goodwin,  D.D.,  successively  Professor  of  Modern  Lan- 
guages in  Bowdoin  College  ;  President  of  Trinity  College,  Hartford  ;  Provost 
of  the  University  of  Pliiladelphia,  and,  since  1865,  Professor  of  Systematic 
Divinity  in  the  Divinity  School  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Phil- 
adelphia. 


Early  Life.  I'j 

has  had  a  letter  from  just  about  nobody  this  term.     I  wish  I 

were  away,  if  only  that  I  might  scri];)ble  a  few  words  to  him. 

It  was  witli  much  reluctance  that  I  consented  to  take  part  in 

the  praygr-meetings,  but  I  thought  it  my  duty.     The  private 

devotion  is  my  choice,  for  then  I  am  nearer  my  Father,  and  I 

never  forget  while  there  to  ask  for  a  blessing  on  all  my  friends. 

Let  us  be  faitbful  to  one  another  as  friends,  not  only  from  the 

principle  which  our  natures  would  dictate,  but  from  the  higher 

motive  of  a  mutual  trust  in  Christ  through  grace.     Therefore, 

do   admonish   me,   and  thus  try  whether  I  am  indeed  what  I 

profess  to  be,  your  true  friend, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

The  following  reminiscences  by  his  friend  and  class- 
mate, Rev.  Cyrus  Hamlin,  D.D.,  since  so  distinguished 
as  a  missionary,  educator  and  practical  worker,  in 
Constantinople,  depict  vividly  one  phase  of  the  conflict 
through  which  he  passed  to  Christian  faith  and  peace  : 

My  acquaintance  with  Professor  Henry  B.  Smith,  commenced 
in  Bowdoin  College  as  his  classmate  in  the  class  of  1834.  He 
was  one  of  the  youngest  of  that  class,  and  when  he  entered,  upon 
his  course,  he  had,  in  a  very  eminent  degree,  the  attributes  both  of 
the  boy  and  the  man.  He  had  the  overflow  of  spirits,  the  joy- 
ous hilarity,  the  love  of  fun  of  the  boy  ;  but  also,  the  power  of 
thought  and  of  keen  analysis  belonging  to  far  riper  years.  I 
remember  that  to  the  religious  students  he  was  an  object  of 
interest  and  concern,  for  they  knew  that  he  was  destined  to  no 
common  life,  and  they  feared  that  his  generous,  social  impulses 
and  boundless  enthusiasm  might  expose  him  in  college  life  to 
peculiar  temptations.  In  one  of  those  college  revivals,  which 
might  justly  be  called  the  poiuer  of  God,  he  was  looked  upon  by 
some  of  us  with  very  special  regard  and  earnest  solicitude. 

His  appearance  had  begun  to  show  to  the  watchful  eye  that 
the  powers  of  the  world  to  come  were  taking  possession  of  his 
soul.  I  hesitated  to  speak  to  him,  for  I  had  once  had  a  conversation 
with  him  which  had  resulted,  apparently,  in  no  good.  He  loved 
to  question  every  position  and  criticise  every  statement,  and  in 
that  peculiar  critical  faculty  which  searched  for  the  last  analysis 
2 


1 8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

of  truth,  he  had  no  peer  in  college.  The  seeds  of  the  golden 
harvest  of  riper  years  had  already  germinated.  I  remember  well 
how  he  met  me  one  morning,  at  tliat  time,  in  a  passage-way  of 
''Maine  Hall,"  and  with  a  certain  tone  and  look,  which  now, 
after  almost  half  a  century,  reproduce  themselves  as  of  yesterday, 
he  said  to  me,  "  Good  morning,  Hamlin,  would  you  like  to  take 
a  walk  ?  "  I  knew  at  once  his  object.  We  went  silently  across 
the  cami^us  into  the  walks  of  the  ''pine  woods."  I  think  he 
broke  the  silence  by  stating  his  difficulties  about  prayer.  He 
had  come  to  feel  prayer  to  be  a  want  of  the  soul,  a  religious 
duty,  but  God's  unchangeableness  and  infinite  wisdom  excluded 
the  idea  of  influencing  the  divine  mind.  It  was  the  ever-recur- 
ring difficulty  of  human  and  divine  agency,  the  eternal  counsels 
of  Jehovah  and  the  freedom  and  responsibility  of  man. 

I  did  not  attempt  to  remove  his  difficulties.  I  confessed  the 
same,  but  I  believed  in  prayer,  from  testimony  and  experience. 
We  must  believe  more  than  we  can  understand.  Faith  is  good 
for  nothing  if  it  cannot  carry  us  farther  than  knowledge  goes. 
We  need  a  Saviour,  and  we  have  the  Saviour  we  need.  We  must 
believe  on  him,  and  have  peace  in  believing.  The  safest  and 
best  thing  for  ns  amid  all  our  perplexities  is  discipleship  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Difficulties  will  still  remain,  but  we  had 
better  adjourn  them  or  hold  them  in  reserve  for  eternal  consid- 
eration. Quite  possibly  we  shall  never  comprehend  them  as  we 
do  our  own  free  agency  and  responsibility.  He  was  evidently 
gratified  by  the  confession  1  made,  and  by  my  not  trying  to  help 
him.  Our  walk  was  a  pleasant  one,  with  that  marvelous  con- 
sciousness of  a  Divine  Presence,  which  used  to  characterize  the 
revivals  of  forty  and  fifty  years  ago. 

With  inward  joy  and  exultation,  I  felt  sure  that  Smith  had 
passed  the  Eubicon  :  whether  conscious  or  not  of  the  change 
himself,  he  was  wholly  changed  and  was  born  into  a  new  life. 
The  next  time  I  saw  him,  he  had  a  peculiarly  calm  and  steady 
trust  in  Christ  as  his  Saviour.  He  made  no  reference  to  his 
previous  Unitarian  views,  nor  did  I,  for  he  had  received  Christ 
as  his  hope  of  eternal  life,  and  that  was  enough.  We  belonged  to 
rival  literary  societies,  and  this  rivalry  often  amounted  to  ani- 
mosity of  the  college  stamp.  Our  intimacy  was  naturally  to 
fiome  degree  affected  by  this,  as  each  was  the  presiding  officer  of 


Early  Life.  19 

his  own  corps.  But  with  a  great  deal  of  spirit,  he  had  a  sunny 
nature.  His  social  characteristics  were  admirable.  In  all  our 
college  course  I  cannot  remember  one  unfriendly  act,  look,  or 
exjiression.  He  was  generous  and  noble,  and  when  he  emerged 
from  doubt  and  danger  into  a  clear,  calm,  settled  faith,  we  knew 
he  was  destined  to  be  a  leader  of  the  Lord's  hosts. 

The  venerable  and  lionored  Professor  A.  S.  Packard, 
D.D.,  the  only  survivor  of  the  college  faculty  of  Pro- 
fessor Smith's  time,  writes  as  follows.  Although  por- 
tions of  this  letter  refer  to  a  later  date,  they  are  given 
here: 

Brunswick,  October  1,  1878. 

.  .  .  I  recall  distinctly  his  appearance  when  he  was  ad- 
mitted Freshman,  a  youth  scarcely  fifteen,  with  light  hair, 
a  fine  eye,  slender  form  and  active  movement,  full  of  life, 
mirthful,  of  winning  ways.  He  soon  gave  proof  of  supe- 
rior scholarship  in  all  branches  ;  but,  in  due  time,  of  a  special 
tendency  toward  a  region  of  thought  in  which  he  became 
so  eminent.  The  subject  of  his  English  oration  (then  of 
the  highest  class  of  assignments)  at  Commencement  is  worthy  of 
notice,  as  revealing  the  same  tendency,  combined  with  a  recent 
critical  change  in  his  religious  life  and  opinions.  The  subject 
was,  "  The  character  of  erroneous  belief,  and  its  influence  on  the 
conduct."  He  gave,  soon  after  graduating,  a  further  proof  of 
such  predilections  by  a  Eeview  of  Professor  Upham's  *'  Intellectual 
Philosophy,"  especially  as  he  was  requested  to  prepare  the  article 
by  the  Professor  himself,  which  indicated  the  estimate  his  in- 
structor had  formed  of  his  talents  and  acquirements.  Few  have 
passed  through  college  who  attracted  more  interest.  "While  his 
manners  and  temperament  invited  unfavorable  influences  from 
without,  the  same  qualities,  with  the  brilliant  promise  borne  by 
his  talents  and  scholarship,  awakened  a  very  tender  solicitude  for 
him  in  both  the  faculty  and  his  friends  among  the  students, 
which  culminated  in  the  religious  struggle  to  which  I  have 
alluded.  I  am  sure  that  the  college  faculty  anticipated  for  him 
a  brilliant  future,  should  his  life  and  health  be  spared.  The 
estimation  in  Avliich  he  was  held  by  them  was  shown  by  his  early 


20  Henry  Boynton  Smith, 

appointment  to  a  tutorship  in  183G,  and  still  more  decidedly, 
when  one  so  young  was  selected  to  take  charge  of  the  President's 
class  in  their  senior  studies,  Pal ey  and  Butler,  during  the  absence 
of  the  latter  in  Europe,  1840-41. 

The  writer  is  also  sure,  that  if  the  matter  had  been  left  to  the 
judgment  of  the  faculty,  they  would  have  welcomed  his  appoint- 
ment to  a  iDcrmanent  position  in  the  college  ;  in  this,  other  insti- 
tutions, as  in  other  cases,  gaining  by  the  loss  of  his  alma  mater. 

His  religious  life,  tliiis  earnestly  begun,  went  on  with 
a  steady  growth.  He  had,  in  his  own  words,  "a  new 
Master,  a  service  that  the  world  knows  not  of,"  and  an 
humble,  trustful,  adoring  love  of  this  divine  Master  was 
thenceforth  the  motive  of  his  life.  He  decided  to  enter 
the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover  in  order  to  prepare 
himself  for  the  sacred  ministry.  Thither  he  went  in  Oc- 
tober, 1834.  His  life,  during  the  few  months  spent  at 
Andover  was  full  of  enjoyment,  not  only  in  its  high 
Christian  studies  and  associations,  but  also  in  the  closest 
intimacy  with  his  dear  friend,  Mr.  Goodwin.  "  That 
life,"  writes  this  friend,  "had  no  way-marks,  no  outside 
events  to  be  commemorated,  no  external  history.  It 
was  an  unspeakably  happy  time.  No  two  room-mates 
ever  loved  each  other  so  much  as  we  did. 

"But  all  this  was  suddenly  brought  to  a  close  by  an 
alaraiing  attack  of  illness.  He  had  come  from  the  close 
of  the  college  year  quite  worn  down.  At  tirst  he  rallied, 
and  for  a  while  seemed  very  bright  and  well,  but  sud- 
denly came  the  terrible  prostrating  stroke,  and  he  was 
laid  low.  He  was  a  long  time  in  recovering,  and,  mean- 
while, I  went  to  Brunswick,  and,  subsequently,  he  went 
to  Bangor,  and  so  our  Andover  life  came  to  an  end." 

Anikjver,  November  6,  1834, 

This  night  I  have  devoted  to  the  cause  of  self-improvement ; 
to  the  completion  of  plans  I  have  been  projecting  for  my  intel- 
lectual and  religious  advancement,     I  have  been  variously  bin- 


Early  Life.  21 

dered,  by  the  want  of  resolute  self-determination,  perhaps,  as 
much  as  by  anything,  from  maturing  and  enforcing  those  pro- 
jects. .  .  .  The  deprivation  of  the  sleep  of  one  night  is  of  little 
avail,  in  its  effects  upon  my  body,  compared  with  the  advantages 
which  a  strict  system  of  intellectual  and  religious  discipline, 
such  as  I  now  mean  to  frame,  and,  while  I  am  in  time,  go  on 
toward  completing,  will  inevitably  bring  to  my  mind  and  heart. 
Therefore,  to-night  is  my  own,  with  that  intent. 

Tlie  plans  of  this  night,  so  far  as  recorded,  were  for 
keeping  manuscript  books,  seventeen  in  number,  in- 
tended for  as  many  different  purposes,  e.  ff.,  a  book  of 
analyses  and  abstracts  of  sermons,  an  intellectual  jour- 
nal, a  journal  of  religious  feeling,  a  book  for  subjects  of 
thought,  speculations  religious  or  abstract,  an  Index 
Rerum,  etc.,  etc.  Some  of  these  he  kept  through  life, 
others  were  amusingly  foreign  to  the  habits  of  his  later 
years. 

In  the  morning  he  wrote  : 

The  five  o'clock  bell  has  rung.  Since  nine  o'clock  I  have 
written  two  letters  and  a  half,  devised  these  plans  and  begun  to 
carry  them  into  execution  ;  a  night  well-spent,  I  trust,  in  the 
beginning  of  attempts  to  forward  my  race  in  life,  in  the  best 
mode  that  my  experience  suggests. 

About  this  time  he  also  drew  up  a  set  of  "plans  and 
resolutions"  for  daily  use,  strictly  apportioning  every 
quarter  of  an  hour,  from  five  in  the  morning  until  bed- 
time.    At  the  end  come  general  rules  like  these  :    • 

Exercise  the  soul  of  health. 

Be  avaricious  of  thoughts. 

Each  week  review  and  make  indices. 

In  reading  and  study,  think  beforehand  of  the  subject ;  al- 
ways fix  attention. 

Get  definiteness  of  thought  and  purpose  and  action.  Carry 
out  a  thought  or  plan  as  soon  as  formed. 


22  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

At  the  close  of  the  week,  demand  of  my  intellect  what  it  has 
done  ;  of  my  heart,  ditto ;  of  my  body,  ditto. 

He  had  in  these  days  a  favorite  i)roject  of  construct- 
ing a  "comprehensive  practical  philosophy,"  in  dis- 
tinction from  an  abstract  philosophy— a  definite  system, 
embracing  the  whole  sphere  of  the  conduct  of  human 
life,  exposing  fallacies,  and  going  to  the  simi)le  roots  of 
actions  and  motives. 

The  enfeebling  effects  of  his  illness  lasted  for  many 
months,  which  he  spent,  for  the  most  part,  at  home 
with  his  parents,  with  occasional  visits  and  Journeyings. 
In  the  autumn  he  entered  the  theological  seminary  at 
Bangor,  where  he  remained  through  the  academical 
year.  During  this  year  at  Bangor,  he  wrote  his  first 
published  articles — for  the  Maine  Literary  MontJdy 
Magazine^  and  for  the  New  York  Literary  and  Theo- 
logical Remew^  the  latter  being  edited  by  his  friend  and 
instructor,  Prof.  Leonard  Woods,  Jr.,  D.D. 

To  Ms  parents : 

Bangok  Theological  Seminary,  November  21,  1835. 

I  feel  my  responsibility  here,  much  more  than  in  Andover. 
I  feel  the  need  of  watchfulness  over  tongue  and  action,  and 
I  do  strive,  I  believe,  to  live  as  I  ought,  and  to  show  my  faith 
by  a  well-ordered  life  and  conversation.  True,  I  feel  pride  and 
vanity  often  striving  to  overpower  me  ;  but  I  struggle,  and 
though  as  I  cut  off  one  liead  another  seems  to  gi'ow,  yet  I  do 
believe  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will  be  granted  according  to  our 
infirmities. 

I  have  not  yet  become  as  systematic  as  I  mean  to  be,  but  shall 
soon  get  all  planned,  my  resolutions  all  drawn  up.  I  rise  at  six 
and  go  to  bed  at  eleven  o'clock. 

I  have  been  appointed  a  reporter  for  the  Monthly  Concert. 
My  field  is  China  and  Northern  Asia.  My  duty  is  to  collect 
the  facts  and  report  them  monthly.  The  seminary  is  divided 
into  two  parts,  theological  and  classical ;  the  classical  students 


Early  Life.  23 

are  under  Mr.  Adams.  To-day  I  received  a  visit  from  him,  re- 
questing me  to  hear  for  an  hour  a  day  two  classes  in  Latin, 
terms  a  dolhir  and  a  half  a  week.  I  think  I  shall  accept  this 
offer. 

November  25/'/i. — Prof.  Woods  has  come  and  we  are  all  de- 
lighted with  him.     He  is  an  admirable  instructor. 

To  Mr.  Prentiss : 

Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  December  28,  1835. 
My  dear  George  :  Prof.  Woods  *  is  a  delightful  man.  In 
the  exegesis  of  Scripture,  as  we  should  say — or  to  speak  in  jilain 
English — in  the  interpretation  of  the  Bible.,  he  is  very  excellent. 
He  not  only  gives  you  the  plain  meaning  of  the  text,  as  found 
out  by  its  grammatical  structure,  but  dwells  very  particularly 
upon  the  connection  of  the  parts,  the  logical  arrangement,  the 
reasons  for  the  things  narrated,  the  style  and  peculiarities  of 
each  evangelist,  and  more  than  all,  he  develops  the  spiritual 
meaning,  the  deep  things  of  God,  and  strives  to  throw  upon  the 
Bible  the  light  which  a  renewed  and  believing  heart  would 
impart.  He  is  a  very  slightly  built  man  ;  but  the  tokens  of  in- 
tellectual superiority  are  in  his  countenance.  He  has  the  most 
complete  simplicity,  nay,  humility  of  address  and  manner,  as 
though  his  own  esteem  was  that  for  which  he  least  cared.  But 
sometimes  he  will  become  rapt  in  the  subject,  especially  if  it 
be  one  that  calls  for  more  spiritual  views  or  nobler  intellectual 
powers,  and  then  his  usual  measured  tones  break  through  their 
trammels,  his  slight  frame  exhibits  the  movings  of  his  mind. 
The  fire  of  his  thoughts  beams  in  his  eye,  and  he  speaks  on 
and  on  with  rapidity,  and  yet  with  precision  of  thought,  with 
feeling,  and  yet  with  feeling  chastened  by  intellectual  discipline. 
He  has  read  much  and  thought  much  and  felt  much.  And  his 
learning,  his  thoughts,  and  his  feelings  have  all  modified  each 
other,  and  made  a  harmonious  character — a  lovely  and  an  admi- 
rable character.     In  private  life  he  is  a  model  of  affability. 

To  Prof.  D.  R.  Goodwin  [ihen  in  Europe]  : 

Bangor,  July  10,   1836. 
Prof.  Wood  has  applied  to  me  to  write  an  article  for  his  Review 

*  Rev.  Leonard  Woods,  Jr.,  D.D, 


24  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

upon  the  subject  of  "Moral  Reform,"  and  I  think  I  shall  at- 
tempt it.  My  heart  burns  when  I  think  how  men  in  such  enter- 
prises turn  away  from  the  spirit  of  the  Bible,  and  found  their 
plans  upon  anything  rather  than  the  principles  of  Christianity. 
The  whole  philosophy  of  radicalism  is  opposed  to  the  philosophy 
of  the  Bible.  In  the  highest  point  of  view,  every  form  of  immo- 
rality is  but  a  development  of  the  devil's  agency,  and  the  prince 
of  evil  can  only  be  opposed  by  the  spirit  of  grace.  Or  if  we  leave 
the  highest  ''standpoint"  and  come  to  fact — what  does  the  his- 
tory of  the  world  show  ?  The  entire  inefficacy  of  mere  moral 
means  to  moralize  men.  Religion  is  the  only  thing  that  can 
promote  morality.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  the  only  instrument 
which  can  make  men  better^  As  a  general  truth,  as  the  only 
true  general  principle,  if  we  are  to  adopt  and  act  upon  any  gen- 
eral principle,  regeiieration  alone  can  make  men  morally  better. 
I  know  that  this  view  ought  to  be  limited,  that  many  modifica- 
tions ought  to  be  made  out.  I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  make 
much  use  of  this  argument  against  the  Moral  Reformers,  because 
they  would  evade  it  by  bringing  the  temperance  analogy,  etc. 
Yet  still  I  believe  that  the  johilosophy  of  anti-radicals  in  reli- 
gious things,  in  things  which  concern  the  Clmrch,  must  be  re- 
solved into  that  or  a  similar  principle.  But  I  forbear  to  inflict 
any  more  of  my  crude  philosophy  upon  you.* 

To  Ms  parents : 

Bangor,  July  13,  1836. 

The  editor  of  the  Maine  Monthly  Magazine  some  time  since 
asked  me  to  contribute  to  his  periodical,  and  the  other  day  I  sat 
down  and  reviewed  one  of  the  "  Scientific  Tracts"  as  severely  as 
I  could,  for  a  more  unscientific  production  I  never  saw ;  if  it 
appears  I  will  send  it  to  you,  so  that  you  may  know  what  your 
son  did  for  one  afternoon  and  evening  of  this  term.  The  weather 
is  very  pleasant  and  I  have  been  rejoicing  in  it.  I  have  scram- 
bled among  the  rocks  and  over  the  burnt  ground,  and  have  been 

*  This  article  made  a  marked  impression,  and  even  led  to  an  entire 
change  of  opinion  in  some  persons  who  had  previously  favored  the  organiza- 
tion. A  friend  wrote  to  Mr.  Smith  :  ' '  Dr.  Woods  of  Andover  expressed  a 
very  great  liking  for  the  article  on  Moral  Reform,  and  was  quite  curious  to 
know  the  name  of  its  author." 


Early  Life.  25 

round  studying  nature,  and  thence  returned  to  my  studies  theo- 
logical with  fresh  alacrity.  Sometimes  the  mere  feeling  of  ani- 
mal existence  is  a  positive  enjoyment.  There  is  no  specific  like 
the  open  air  and  the  exercise  of  the  body.  I  have  always  been  an 
excellent  theorist. 

August  12,  1836. 

My  article  has  been  somewhat  severely  criticised — tit  for  tat— 
in  two  or  three  papers,  which  troubles  me  very  little,  as  the  edi- 
tors did  not  understand  wliy  I  criticised  as  severely  as  I  did. 
.  .  .  But  enough  of  this.  If  you  think  it  too  severe,  my 
next  shall  be  more  lamb-like. 

.  .  .  In  four  weeks  from  to-day,  at  the  furthest  to-mor- 
row, I  shall  be  back  with  you  again,  and  my  heart  is  always  glad 
at  the  thought  of  sitting  down  with  my  father  and  mother. 
.  .  .  My  principal  care  will  be  for  my  anniversary  part, 
and,  as  I  am  full  of  the  subject  [''  The  Power  of  the  Gospel '']  I 
fear  the  result  but  little.  That  I  shall  write  next,  so  that  be- 
tween the  ardor  of  composition  and  the  time  of  performance,  I 
may  have  opportunity  to  prune  and  arrange  more  distinctly, 
especially  as  I  shall  exhibit  the  Gospel  as  the  great  instrument  of 
moral  reform,  and  as  that  is  rather  opposed  to  the  spirit  and 
practice  of  the  present  times,  I  must  be  unusually  guarded, 
so  that  I  may  state  what  I  know  and  feel  to  be  the  truth  in  such 
a  way  as  to  injure  the  Christian  consciences  of  none.  I  feel  that 
I  shall  be  on  delicate,  on  somewhat  hazardous  ground,  but  the 
cause  is  strong  if  the  advocate  be  weak.  I  feel  my  danger  of 
going  to  extremes,  of  indiscriminately  condemning  temperance 
and  peace  and  moral  reform  societies,  but  I  hope  that  I  shall  be 
moderate  and  firm.  And  may  God  give  me  wisdom.  Professor 
Woods  knows  my  views  and  encourages  my  design.  Mr.  Oum- 
mings  wants  me  to  publish  some  articles  in  the  Mirror  on  this 
subject. 

To  Prof.  D.  R.  Goodwin  : 

Saccarappa,  September  14,  1836. 
Soon  after  I  received  your  last  letter  I  started  on  a  foot 
expedition    to    Mount    Katahdin,    in    company    with    Weston 
and    Blake.      We    were    absent    sixteen    days,    and    in    every 


26  Henry  Boynton  Smiik. 

variety  of  weather  and  condition.  Each  day  brought  its  nov- 
elties, its  new  fatigues,  or  rather  new  modes  of  being  fatigued, 
and  its  new  calls  for  ingenuity,  enterprise,  and  persever- 
ance. We  first  ascended  the  Penobscot  sixty-four  miles,  to  a 
place  called  Mattawamkeag,  and  there  all  regular  road  ceased, 
and  no  more  villages  did  we  find  for  many  days.  Twelve  miles 
further  is  a  place  called  Nicketo  ;  for  that  we  started,  and  our 
accouterments  would  have  called  a  smile  upon  your  face,  if  not 
a  hearty  laugh  from  your  mouth.  We  supplied  ourselves  with 
ten  days'  i^rovisions,  that  is,  half  a  barrel  of  hard  bread  and  a 
dozen  pounds  of  pork  ;  these  two  in  packs  upon  our  backs.  We 
also  carried  a  gun,  hatchet,  spy-glass,  etc.  And  above  our  packs 
a  blanket  was  strung,  in  front  was  suspended  a  little  dipper  for 
making  tea.  I  should  think  we  had  at  least  twenty  pounds  upon 
our  backs,  aj)iece,  besides  a  heavy  gun.  I  said  it  was  twelve  miles 
to  Nicketo.  There  is  a  path  through  the  woods,  a  mere  foot- 
path which  those  accustomed  to  such  things  might  find  ;  but,  as 
for  us,  we  could  no  more  keep  it  than  we  could  the  trail  of  an 
Indian,  so  constantly  was  it  intersected  by  other  paths  ;  and  so 
we  wandered  about  the  woods  for  two  days  before  we  got  to 
Nicketo.  I  should  think  we  traversed  a  piece  of  country  ten 
miles  square.  One  time  we  were  up  three  miles  at  some  mills 
not  knowing  how  we  got  there  ;  at  another  we  found  ourselves 
three  miles  up  a  little  stream,  and  not  knowing  how  else  to  do 
we  jumped  into  it  and  waded  down,  sure  in  this  way  of  reaching 
the  Penobscot.  The  Penobscot  was  our  constant  landmark,  and 
when  we  found  ourselves  in  danger  we  plunged  through  cedar 
swamps  and  forests  to  reach  it.  At  Nicketo  the  river  divides 
into  the  east  and  west  branches  ;  the  latter  we  took,  and  fol- 
lowed it  up  twenty-four  miles  further  to  Great  Falls.  Our  mode 
of  going,  for  we  had  learned  wisdom  by  experience,  was  to  fol- 
low the  river  up,  by  leaping  from  stone  to  stone,  on  its  banks,  a 
very  slow  but  still  a  sure  fashion.  Great  Falls  is  truly  a  great 
spectacle.  The  immediate  fall  is  only  about  twelve  feet,  yet  the 
wildness  of  the  whole  scene  and  the  peculiar  characteristics  of 
the  river,  make  it  impressive.  The  bed  of  the  stream  appears  as 
though  hewn  out  of  a  solid  ledge  of  slatestone.  Just  opposite 
the  falls,  on  either  side,  the  banks  are  very  precipitous,  at  least 
thirty  feet,  and  thus  they  continue  for  twenty  rods,  not  a  regular 


Ea7'ly  Life.  27 

precipice,  but  forming  deep  notches  in  the  bank  and  then  jutting 
out  in  a  bold  bluff  into  the  river.  Three  such  deep  recesses  you 
see  on  each  side,  and  in  them  the  water,  after  leaping  over  the 
precipice,  eddies  and  foams  and  crosses  itself  in  divers  currents. 
Please  imagine  the  rest.  At  Great  Falls  we  took  a  bateau  with 
two  men,  to  go  through  the  chain  of  lakes,  of  which  the  greater 
part  of  this  western  branch  is  composed.  This  is  a  most  re- 
markable and  distinctive  feature.  For  sixty  miles  this  branch  is 
thus  formed  :  a  wide-spread  lake,  miles  in  length  and  breadth, 
and  then  a  rapid  of  from  a  quarter  to  three  miles  in  length,  and 
so  on,  lake  and  rapid,  in  unvarying  succession.  As  a  sample  of 
their  names  let  me  give  you,  Quaquogamus,  Abalajakomegus, 
Quakish-Sowadehunk  and  Sowadehunk  Aumokziz.  Through  a 
chain  of  lakes  thus  named  we  sped  our  way.  Would  that  I 
could  tell  you  of  the  peculiarities  of  our  boatmen,  of  their  dex- 
terity, perseverance,  and  hardihood,  especially  of  their  individu- 
alities and  specialities.  Would  that  I  could  paint  for  you  the 
living  beauties  of  the  scenery  through  which  we  passed,  inimi- 
table and  unsurpassed  by  any  which  Maine  or  New  England  can 
present.  It  was  in  all  its  glory  and  strength  when  we  saw  it — 
the  wide-spreading  lake,  the  hills  thick  set  with  innumerable 
trees,  whose  tojDS  only  were  visible,  the  mountain,  "  old  Ktaadn" 
beyond,  frowning  upon  us,  "  grand,  gloomy  and  peculiar,"  the 
most  striking  of  all  the  natural  objects  which  I  have  ever  seen. 
Alone  it  stands,  a  vast  mass,  in  nothing  but  its  hugeness  com- 
parable with  any  other  hill.  The  little  summits  which  peep  up 
in  its  neighborhood  are  only  foils  to  its  greatness.  It  meets  you 
at  every  turn  ;  you  cannot,  you  would  not,  get  rid  of  its  impres- 
siveness  and  obtrusiveness.  As  you  sail  along,  it  approaches 
nearer  and  nearer,  huger  and  huger,  vaster  and  more  mighty 
than  any  pyramid  of  man.  It  is  the  masonry  of  Jehovah,  solid 
and  impenetrable  and  unshaken. 

After  leaving  the  boat  we  pressed  through  thicket  and  wood, 
guided  by  the  compass  alone,  sixteen  miles  further  to  this  moun- 
tain, and  about  five  o'clock  one  fine  evening  were  two-thirds  up 
its  side.  A  slide  about  twenty  years  ago  made  a  favorable  path- 
way, disemboweling  the  mountain,  and  showing  its  internal 
resources,  here  and  there  exposing  to  view  the  solid  granite. 
And  then  the  vast  prospect  beyond,  the  interminable  masses  of 


28  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

forest,  the  lakes  interspersed  to  give  variety  and  life,  and  the 
rivers  intersecting  the  whole  region  in  their  fantastic  windings. 
The  whole  was  spread  out  like  a  map  below.  There  we  camped, 
that  is,  we  made  up  a  fire,  toasted  our  pork,  made  our  tea,  and 
ate  our  crackers ;  and  then,  between  some  rocks  which  gave  a 
partial  shelter,  lay  down  and  threw  our  blankets  over  us  before  a 
fire,  and  tried  to  sleep.  By  snatches  we  took  our  naps,  the  night 
becoming  colder  and  colder,  until  about  two  hours  before  morn- 
ing, when  it  began  to  rain.  "We  stretched  a  blanket  and  took 
the  pelting  until  daylight,  when  we  roused  ourselves,  thoroughly 
drenched,  and  began  to  finish  the  ascent,  determined  still  to 
reach  the  top.  We  climbed,  we  scrambled,  we  went  on  all  fours, 
and  at  last  stood  on  the  summit,  six  thousand  feet  above  the 
place  from  which  we  started.  The  thermometer  was  at  45°,  we 
were  in  a  dense  cloud,  the  rain  was  pouring,  the  wind  was 
fiercely  blowing,  and  there  we  were,  with  fingers  numb,  with 
mouths  parched,  without  shelter  or  comfort.  It  is  said  that 
there  are  nearly  eight  hundred  acres  on  top  of  the  mountain, 
but  we  did  not  dare  start  from  the  spot  on  which  we  stood,  for 
fear  of  losing  ourselves  in  the  fog.  You  may  suppose  we  were 
not  long  in  determining  to  descend.  Our  average  prospect,  in- 
stead of  being  forty  or  fifty  miles,  was  three  or  four  rods.  From 
that  point  I  suppose  we  may  be  said  to  have  begun  our  homeward 
journey,  whicli  we  pursued  in  another  direction,  and  came  out  at 
the  foot  of  Moosehead  Lake,  having  traversed  forty  miles  of 
forest  without  an  inhabitant  before  we  reached  that  point.  We 
*' swamped  "it  through  the  wood,  and  **  farmed"  it  up  the 
rivers,  and  "sacked  "  it  round  the  lakes.  We  tore  ourselves  and 
our  clothes,  so  that  when  again  we  came  within  the  sound  of 
civilization  our  plight  was  most  deplorable.  What  was  still 
worse,  we  spent  our  last  cent  just  as  we  got  among  inhabitants  : 
three  bowls  of  milk,  a  shilling  apiece,  and  just  forty-nine  and  a 
half  cents  in  the  party.  It  was  a  somewhat  hazardous  expedi- 
tion, full  of  peril  and  incident  ''by  flood  and  field  ;"  fatigued 
we  were,  beyond  what  I  thought  myself  capable  of  enduring,  but 
I  now  know  what  virtue  is  in  my  muscles  and  frame.  Five  times 
we  were  completely  drenched  by  storms,  eight  times  we  forded 
streams,  five  times  we  camped  out  with  no  shelter  but  our  enor- 
mous fire,  for  which  our  hatchets  and  the  woods  supplied  fuel, 


Early  Life.  29 

in  perils  often  but  not  in  fastings,  gorged  on  pork  and  tront  and 
bread.  Nothing  ever  tasted  so  sweet  or  satisfying  as  did  oiir 
rudely-roasted  slices  of  pork;  the  flavor  remains  with  me  yet. 
Ours  was  a  pleasure  expedition,  but  every  one  thought  that  we 
were  speculators,  except  one  man  who  took  us  for  IT.  S.  troops 
returned  from  fighting  the  Indians.  We  traversed  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  and  most  hale  and  hearty  were  we  on  our  return, 
though  severely  exhausted.  I  thought  for  the  first  two  or  three 
nights  after  our  return  I  should  sleep  myself  away.  The  recol- 
lection of  this  expedition  is  most  pleasant  to  me.  I  love  to  go 
over  all  we  felt  and  saw,  and  to  think  of  the  merciful  protection 
of  God  in  the  midst,  not  only  of  the  perils  which  we  saw,  but 
of  those  of  which  we  were  unmindful.  How  many  times  was 
his  hand  between  us  and  death  ! 

Next  year  I  spend  at  Bowdoin.  Prof.  Newman  is  to  be  ab- 
sent for  some  time,  and  leaves  $325  of  his  salary,  and  I  am  to  be 
tutor  in  Greek  and  librarian  with  this  salary.  I  thought  it,  upon 
the  whole,  advisable  to  accept  this  appointment,  thovigh  some- 
what regretting  that  it  abstracted  me  from  the  more  immediate 
study  of  theology.  But  I  reasoned  thus  :  I  am  now  twenty ;  for 
at  least  three  years,  probably  for  four,  I  should  not  wish  to  be  a 
pastor.  This  time  I  need  for  study.  After  I  enter  the  ministry, 
very  little  time  will  be  left  for  study,  except  what  directly  bears 
upon  my  ministerial  duties.  There  are  some  studies,  not  di- 
rectly included  in  a  ministerial  course,  which  will  be  important 
to  my  future  usefulness.  I  want  a  fluent  knowledge  of  the  Ger- 
man, so  that  I  may  pursue  my  future  theological  studies  in  that 
language.  The  offer  at  Brunswick  will  give  me  time  which  may 
thus  be  profitably  employed.  It  will  also  joay  all  my  expenses 
and  add  something  to  my  library.  Consequently,  etc.  I  think, 
Daniel,  I  decided  in  view  of  my  highest  usefulness.  In  the 
ministry  of  reconciliation  I  have  a  growing  interest.  Its  motives 
move  me  more,  its  doctrines  feed  me  more,  and  I  love  more  to 
dwell  upon  them.'  I  think,  by  the  grace  of  God,  that  I  am  en- 
abled to  understand  more  of  the  spirituality  of  its  truth,  to  bring 
my  mind,  by  self-denial,  into  nearer  harmony  with  its  spirit. 
My  prayer  for  both  you  and  me  is  that  we  may  love  to  think 
npon  the  character  of  Christ,  that  we  may  become  increasingly 
like  him,  that  we  may  gaze  and  dwell  upon  his  loveliness  until 


30  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

our  minds  are  transformed  into  his  likeness.  To  preach  him  is 
the  purpose  of  my  soul,  from  which  my  sins  cannot  deter  me. 
It  is  a  duty,  a  high  privilege,  to  declare  his  glorious  name  and 
character.  The  more  we  think  of  him  the  more  we  feel  the 
truth  of  this.  What  a  deep  and  rich  meaning  there  is  in  the 
expression  having  "our  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God."  That 
such  may  be  our  part,  that  united  in  this  we  may  live  here,  and 
united  thus,  enter  upon  life  hereafter,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of 
Yours  most  affectionately, 

Henry  Botnton  Smith. 

To  Ms  parents: 

BowDoiN  College,  Oct.  24,  1836. 

Yesterday  I  went  to  Harpswell  to  preach,  in  company  with 
"W.  A.  The  place  where  we  went  is  almost  destitute  of 
a  regular  ministry,  although  there  are  more  than  a  hundred 
substantial  people  who  attend  the  meeting.  The  previous  week 
we  went  down  to  announce  our  design  of  coming.  We  rode 
down  Sabbath  morning — it  is  seven  miles  distant — and  arrived 
there  in  season  for  the  services.  I  preached  forenoon  and  after- 
noon. Allen  performed  the  rest  of  the  services  in  the  afternoon. 
There  was  an  interval  of  only  fifteen  minutes,  and  we  conse- 
quently had  no  dinner,  so  that  by  the  time  I  had  ended  my  sec- 
ond sermon  I  was  somewhat  exhausted.  We  received  divers 
invitations  to  go  and  take  some  refreshments,  and  accepted  one 
from  a  Mr.  Orr,  who  lived  two  miles  on  our  road  homeward — a 
Congregationalist  and  a  pious  man,  who  has  had  a  great  deal  of 
religious  experience.  The  sagacity  and  wisdom  of  those  who 
have  received  no  other  instruction  than  what  the  Bible  and  their 
own  hearts  have  given  them  is  truly  surprising.  It  shows  how 
those  who  have  been  born  of  God  will  be  also  taught  of  God. 
They  gave  me  some  very  kind  invitations  to  come  and  talk  to 
them  again  when  I  could,  and  if  I  can  find  a  way  of  getting 
there,  I  shall  very  much  like  the  opportunity.  I  feel  that  I  need 
something  of  this  kind,  some  strong  external  call,  to  keep  my 
heart  interested  as  it  ought  to  be  in  the  great  work  of  saving 
souls.  And  if  I  can,  once  a  week,  be  called  to  this,  by  preach- 
ing the  great  truths  of  the  Gospel,  I  shall  thus,  in  a  degree,  ward 


Early  Life.  31 

off  that  secular  disposition,  which  must  result  from  the  absence 
of  direct  efforts  in  the  service  of  my  Master.  And  another  im- 
pod'tant  end  I  shall  gain  in  my  mental  training  by  preaching  to 
such  people.  I  shall  be  obliged  to  change,  in  some  respects,  my 
mental  habits.  I  have  been  accustomed  more  to  a  logical  and 
metaphysical  mode  of  viewing  any  question  which  is  started, 
than  to  a  practical  and  familiar  view  of  it.  This  is  well  enough 
for  a  student — but  to  a  minister,  a  proclaimer  of  the  Gospel,  it  is 
essentially  unfitted. 

BowDOiN  College,  Nov.  21,  1836. 

My  dear  Parents  :  I  have  purposely  delayed  writing  until 
to-day,  that  on  my  birthday  I  might  hold  some  converse  with 
you,  especially  upon  that  birthday  which  makes  tlie  era  in  my 
life.  I  have  looked  forward  to  it  with  much  solemnity,  realizing 
in  some  degree  the  importance  I  ought  to  attach  to  it,  and  the 
deep  responsibilities  which  I  take  upon  myself.  If  any  feelings 
overpower  others  to-day  they  are  my  religious  feelings.  To 
thee,  0  Lord,  I  consecrate  myself.  I  desire  to  be  wholly  thine. 
I  know  not  what  I  wish  to  reserve  in  making  such  a  consecration. 
I  do  not  know  of  a  feeling  that  I  am  not  desirous  should  be 
brought  into  dominion  to  the  spirit  of  grace.  I  do  not  know  of 
a  desire  which  I  am  not  willing  to  combat,  with  God's  assistance. 
In  Jesus  Christ  I  would  place  all  my  trust  and  all  my  hope.  To 
him  my  heart  turns.  In  him  is  my  hope  and  my  strength. 
My  body,  soul  and  spirit,  my  life,  health  and  strength,  my  time, 
acquisitions  and  powers  of  mind  are  given  to  him  in  solemn 
trust. 

I  have  solemnly  reviewed  my  life,  and  I  think  I  see  all  its 
prominent  incidents  as  a  connected  series.  God  has  been  leading 
me  to  himself  in  all  of  them.  The  deep  knowledge  which  I  have 
got  of  my  own  worthlessness  and  impotence  is  the  most  striking 
moral  I  can  draw  from  my  own  history. 

You  have  been  thinking  of  me  to-day,  my  very  dear  parents, 
with  mixed  emotion,  and  I  have  thought  of  you  with  the  deep- 
est feeling  and  the  sincerest  love.  I  have  faithfully  gone  over 
your  surprising  love  to  me,  your  forbearance,  your  kindness, 
everything  by  which  you  have  won  my  affection,  and  shown 
yourselves  the  kindest  and  best  of  earthly  parents.     And  with 


32  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

the  truest  feelings  I  can  to  eacli  and  both  renew  the  warmest 
assurances  of  my  love  and  gratitude.  My  love  to  you  has  grown 
as  I  have  known  you  more,  and  reflected  more.  Never  have  I 
felt  a  momentary  alienation  from  your  affection.  And  now  my 
love  to  you  is  more  pure,  more  instinctive,  more  heartfelt,  more 
tenderly  cherished,  than  ever  before.  Though  the  law  separates, 
yet  affection  supplies  all  that  can  bind  me  to  you.  I  do  not  feel 
independent.  I  cannot ;  I  always  want  to  be  bound  to  you.  As 
much  as  ever  I  want,  more  than  ever  I  value,  your  counsels, 
your  wishes,  your  admonitions,  your  prayers.  And  more  fer- 
vently than  ever  do  I  put  up  the  petition  that  God  will  bless 
you  in  temporal  and  spiritual  things,  and  spare  you  long,  very 
long,  to  be  the  guides  and  directors  of  your  children.  May  God 
abundantly  bless  you,  my  dear  father  and  mother,  especially  with 
all  spiritual  blessings  in  Christ  Jesus. 

On  the  same  day  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Goodwin  : 

More  than  a  year  has  passed,  Daniel,  since  I  saw  you.  I  trust 
in  many,  very  many  respects,  it  has  been  a  profitable  year  to  me. 
I  have  had  very  many  speculations  about  religious  things,  and 
think  they  have  not  been  wholly  profitless.  I  cannot  find  truth 
in  any  one  systematic  view  of  it.  I  cannot  find  religious  truth 
in  the  Old  School  or  the  New.  I  find  it  only  in  the  doctrine  of 
redemption.  My  object  is  to  make  and  harmonize  a  system 
which  shall  make  Christ  the  central  point  of  all  important  relig- 
ious truth  and  doctrine.  Such,  I  am  convinced,  is  the  Biblical 
scheme ;  does  any  human  scheme  correspond  to  this  ?  Such  a 
system,  too,  would  be  a  ju-actical  system  ;  it  would,  at  any  rate, 
require  that  all  preaching  should  be  made  in  reference  to  Christ, 
of  course  in  reference  to  redem|)tion  and  sanctification,  and 
Christ  as  the  cause  of  both. 

I  have  given  you  much  of  myself  internally  ;  but  myself 
externally,  in  my  relations  to  space,  you  want  to  know ; 
my  relations  to  time  I  have  to  let  you  into.  No.  23,  New 
College,  then,  is  my  domicile.  'Tis  ten  o'clock  ;  a  cheerful 
fire  is  blazing.  Horatio  has  gone  to  bed,  and  I  am  uniting 
the  old  world  with  the  new,  in  thought  at  least,  and  at  most. 
Thus  far  I  have  had  a  truly  delightful  time,  not  a  momentary 
trouble  or  inconvenience,  at  peace,  and  in  pleasant  relations  to  all 


Early  Life.  33 

others.  Everybody  is  kind  and  courteous.  !My  regular  lesson  is 
a  forenoon  one  in  Greek — Xenojalion.  My  afternoons  I  read 
German  ;  in  the  evening  either  philosophy  or  writing  or  miscel- 
lany or  visiting.  I  have  been  studying  the  Greek  grammar  thor- 
oughl}^,  and  have  made  many  advances  in  my  knowledge  of  this 
language.  I  have  been  reading  both  Biittmann's  and  Thiersch's 
grammars,  and  find  peculiar  faults  and  excellencies  in  each. 
Biittmann  is  the  practical  scholar,  and  Thiersch  the  theoretical 
grammarian.  A  union  of  both  would  complete  a  system  of 
grammar.  I  have  also  read  in  Greek  Plato's  Apology  of  Socrates, 
and  intend  next  to  take  up  his  Phaedo.  My  progress  in  German 
is  rather  slow,  but  I  hope  to  be  able  to  read  it  with  some  fluency 
by  the  end  of  the  year.  The  officers  of  the  government  are  all 
very  kind  to  me,  and  in  visiting  them  I  find  a  good  deal  of  social 
pleasure.  A  very  pleasant  society  originated  here  this  term, 
which  meets  weekly  for  the  reading  of  a  j)aper  made  up  of  origi- 
nal contributions.  Of  this  paper,  called  The  Nucleus,  I  am 
editor,  and  the  chief  of  my  duties  is  to  read  the  contributions  at 
the  weekly  session.  Will  you  be  a  contributor  ?  We  are  invited 
round  to  all  the  houses,  and  are  now  in  high  repute  and  popu- 
larity. 

I  have  started  a  metaphysical  club  among  the  students.  Six 
or  eight  of  the  seniors  come  to  my  room  "weekly,  and  we  talk 
over  some  interesting  question.  I  think  this  will  be  very  profit- 
able all  round.  We  are  now  following  the  course  of  Cousin  in 
his  criticisms  upon  Locke.  Thus  you  have  an  outline  of  my 
employments  and  pleasures.  In  the  midst  of  them  I  hope  that 
I  am  preparing  myself  for  usefulness,  and  for  sustaining  what- 
ever part  I  may  be  called  to  bear  in  my  future  life.  My  mind 
still  fastens  most  firmly  upon  the  preacher's  office,  as  the  one  in 
which  I  can  do  most  good,  and  for  which,  in  some  respects,  I  am 
best  fitted.  But  ojiportunity  and  circumstances  are  generally 
the  best  guides  to  duty  and  usefulness,  and  for  these  I  wait,  feel- 
ing assured  that  God  will  direct  my  path  by  his  monitions  and 
his  providencies. 

The  first  of  this  month  was  Thanksgiving,  and  I  wish  you 
could  have  seen  us  all  of  the  three  houses  *  together  at  Prof.  New- 

*  Professors  Smyth's,  Packard's  and  Newman's.     H.  B.  S.  was  at  this  time 
partially  a  member  of  Prof.  Smyth's  family. 
3 


34  Hcniy  Boynton  Smith. 

man's,  encouraging  the  children's  plays  and  taking  part  in  them, 
with  great  hilarity.  It  did  me  very  much  good  to  see  the  round 
dozen  of  their  children,  so  lively  and  pleased,  bouncing  together 
and  all  round.  I  entered  into  it  with  all  heartiness,  for  I  have 
neither  lost  my  love  of  seeing  children  at  their  sports,  nor  my 
disposition  to  make  sport  or  make  myself  a  sport  for  them.  I 
have  taken  two  or  three  times  the  office  of  speaker  at  the  Satur- 
day evening  meeting ;  to  my  own  profit  certainly,  even  if  the 
benefit  reached  no  further. 

To  Mr.  D.  M.  Goodwin  : 

BowDoiN  College,  March  4,  1837. 

.  .  .  I  spent  a  very  delightful  seven  weeks  at  home, 
probably  a  longer  time  than  I  shall  ever  again  spend  there, 
for  the  duties  of  life  will  leave  me  hereafter  only  short 
vacations.  I  enjoyed  myself  in  reading,  writing,  talking, 
and  lounging — and  preaching — for  Mr.  Searle  was  part  of  the 
time  disabled,  and  I  filled  his  place.  ...  I  like  such 
extemporaneous  trials  of  myself.  I  think  the  discipline  does 
me  good,  and  it  keeps  my  heart  warm  in  the  great  work  to 
which  I  have  devoted  myself  wholly.  I  do  not  know  how  my 
voice  and  strength  will  hold  out  as  a  public  speaker,  but  I  think 
that  in  some  respects  I  am  better  fitted  for  the  situation  of  min- 
ister than  for  any  other  office.  Much  of  literary  attractions 
and  opportunities  for  intellectual  indulgence  other  situations 
may  hold  out.  It  would  be  more  delightful  to  keep  the  situa- 
tion of  a  student.  I  am  a  student  by  habit,  and  am  becoming 
a  more  thorough  one,  but  I  doubt  its  being  the  post  where  I  can 
do  the  most  good.  I  read  Jocelyn  during  the  vacation,  and  was 
enchanted  with  it.  I  never  liked  French  poetry  before ;  there 
was  always  too  much  etiquette  about  it. 

To  Rev.  Benjamin  Tappan,  Jr. : 

BowDoiN  College,  April,  1837. 
.  .  .  For  nearly  three  weeks  I  have  been  prohibited  from  the 
use  of  my  eyes  for  any  but  absolutely  necessary  purposes.  In  my 
right  eye  I  am  threatened  with  amaurosis.  .  .  .  The  diagnosis 
I  cannot  stop  to  give.  'Twould  be  very  uninteresting.  .  .  .  All 
my  studies  I  have  been  obliged  to  give  up,  and  I  walk  and  talk  and 


Early  Life.  35 

think,  make  plans  of  sermons  and  addresses,  commit  the  Bible 
to  memory.  But  I  find  talking  as  agreeable  a  mode  as  any  of 
passing  the  time.  I  was  obliged  to  give  up  an  addi'ess  before  the 
Colonization  Society,  which  I  had  begun  to  prepare,  but  am 
still  thinking  of  one  before  the  Brunswick  and  Topsham  Athe- 
nseum,  upon  the  nature  of  the  Government  under  which  we 
live,  the  abuses  of  the  Constitution  which  are  beginning  to  pre- 
vail, and  the  peculiar  dangers  to  which  this  Government  is  in- 
ternally liable  ;  and  I  think  it  a  very  interesting  subject. 

Suh  rosd.  Prof.  Upham  is  issuing  a  new  edition  of  his 
"Mental  Philosophy,"  and  wishes  me  to  take  the  whole  series 
of  his  works  and  write  a  review  of  them  for  the  Literary  and 
Tlieological  Review.  I  have  had  several  very  interesting  confer- 
ences with  him  upon  the  general  theories  and  principles  of 
mental  philosophy,  and  find  him  more  inclined  to  the  spiritual 
school,  more  conformable,  e.  g.,  to  Cousin's  principles,  than  I 
had  supposed,  and  he  says  that  in  his  new  work  he  has  done 
them  more  justice  than  before. 


He  spent  most  of  the  May  vacation  of  1837  in  a  trip  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  attended  with  great  interest 
that  memorable  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly, 
which  was  the  scene  of  the  disruption  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  ;  little  dreaming  of  the  important  part  that 
he  was  to  take  in  healing  that  disruption  thirty  years 
later,  in  the  same  Assembly  and  the  same  church-build- 
ing. He  continued  till  September  in  his  office  of  tutor 
in  Bowdoin  College,  struggling  through  the  summer 
with  enfeebled  health  and  with  a  serious  disease  of  the 
eye.  These  and  other  causes  brought  him  to  a  depth  of 
physical  and  mental  depression,  which  became  threat- 
ening to  life  itself.  A  year' s  trip  to  Europe  was  recom- 
mended and  decided  upon,  as  the  best,  if  not  the  only 
restorative.  During  the  last  weeks  before  sailing, 
feeble  and  oppressed  as  he  was,  he  completed  his  Re- 
view of  Prof.  Upham' s  Mental  Philosophy  for  Prof. 
Woods'  Literary  and  Tlieological  Remew.    His  chief 


36  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

point  was,  that  the  affections  and  not  the  ■will,  are  the 
source  of  moral  character.  * 
Prof.  Woods  wrote  to  him : 

Bangor,  August  19,  1837. 

My  dear  Friend  :  I  shall  insert  your  notice  of  Prof. 
Upham's  book  with  great  pleasure,  and  rely  upon  the  review 
of  it  which  you  propose  in  the  December  number.  The  views 
which  you  express  respecting  the  moral  character  of  our  spon- 
taneous, native  affections  coincide  with  my  own,  and  I  cannot 
but  regard  them  not  only  as  philosophically  just,  but  as  practi- 
cally important.  The  opposite  view,  by  removing  morality 
from  its  proper  seat  in  the  heart,  and  making  it  rest  on  deliber- 
ate volition,  deprives  religion,  theology,  and  ethics  of  all  their 
vitality.  With  regard  to  your  going  abroad  to  complete  your 
theological  course,  I  fear  that  I  am  too  much  interested  in  hav- 
ing you  remain  at  home  to  give  impartial  advice.  It  is  my  very 
strong  conviction  that  the  "best  good"  of  foreign  travel  can  be 
obtained  after  the  completion  of  the  regular  course  among  us, 
and  after  the  mind  has  become  more  definitely  fixed  with  regard 
to  its  particular  pursuits.  Whatever  course  you  pursue,  my 
warmest  wishes  for  your  usefulness  and  happiness  will  attend 
you.  Should  you  come  here  the  next  year  my  hope  is  that  we 
may  have  your  service  in  our  paper  ;  perhaps  we  may  need  it  in 
the  seminary. 

To  Prof.  Leonard  Woods,  Jr. : 

Saccarappa,  October  30,  1837. 
I  hope  to  be  able  to  send  you  the  article  for  your  Review  by 
the  last  of  this  week  or  the  first  of  the  following.     I  feel  its 

*  In  this  article  he  strikes  the  key-note  of  his  later  writings  : 
"  Philosophy  and  religion  have  long  been  aliens,  exchanging  only  angry 
or  contemptuous  glances.     Oh  !  the  glories  of  that  hymeneal  day  when  they 
shall  clasp  inseparable  hands,  and  '  rejoice  in  overmeasure  forever.'  " 

"How  ceaseless  and  unavailing  has  been  man's  search  for  truth! 
The  vase  is  shattered,  the  fragrance  of  its  contents  alone  reaches  him. 
Tv\xih.  immer  wird,  nie  ist,  'never  is,  always  is-a-being.'  Like  the  search 
and  wailings  of  Orpheus  for  his  lost  Eurydice,  has  been  the  ineffectual 
search  of  the  human  soul  for  truth,  its  desire  and  aliment." 


Early  Life.  37 

deficiencies  more  than  any  one  else  can,  but  it  is  all  that  I 
could  do  in  my  i)resent  state  of  health. 

It  would  be  hazardous  for  me  to  go  on  with  my  theological 
studies,  and  therefore  I  have  concluded  to  go  on  a  voyage  and 
spend  the  year  in  Europe,  principally  in  Germany,  hearing  lec- 
tures and  learning  the  language  more  thoroughly.  This  you 
will  see  is  contrary  to  the  advice  you  so  kindly  gave  me  in  the 
letter  which  I  thanked  you  very  much  for  writing,  and  to  which 
I  have  not  before  replied,  because  I  would  not  intrude  upon  you 
until  I  could  say  something  definite.  The  circumstances,  how- 
ever, have  also  altered,  so  that  though  I  feel  the  full  force  of 
your  reasons,  and  see  that  if  I  could  go  only  once,  it  would  be 
much  better  to  wait  until  I  could,  with  some  propriety,  seek  the 
intercourse  of  the  good  and  great  of  those  countries,  yet  I  know 
not  how  I  could  spend  the  next  year  so  profitably,  or  with  a 
surer  prospect  of  regaining  health  and  restoring  my  mind  to  its 
balance. 

My  state  being  such,  you  may  wonder  that  I  undertook  the 
article ;  but  I  felt  myself  bound  to  Prof.  Upham,  and  thought 
that,  for  a  last  act  of  imprudence,  I  might  by  the  "categorical 
imperative  "  force  myself  into  a  state  of  sufiicient  excitement  to 
write  something  which  might  not  be  wholly  skipped  over  by 
your  readers.  But  I  have  been  upon  a  dead  level  all  the  time. 
I  do  not  know  how  much,  in  copying,  I  shall  be  able  to  reduce 
and  compress  the  thing ;  but  it  will,  I  fear,  be  long,  as  I  have  not 
force  enough  to  compress. 

From  Prof.  Leonard  Woods,  Jr. 

Bangor,  November  8,  1837. 

My  dear  Friend  :  I  should  have  sooner  replied  to  your 
grateful  letter  which  I  found  on  my  return  to  this  place,  had  I 
not  expected  to  have  occasion  to  write  you  after  the  reception  of 
your  article.  The  feelings  which  you  express  towards  myself 
are  the  highest  reward  of  an  earthly  nature,  which,  as  a  teacher, 
I  could  desire  to  receive.  To  be  in  any  humble  measure  the  in- 
strument •f  leading  inquiring  minds  into  the  secret  treasures  of 
divine  truth,  affords  me  a  purer  pleasure  than  any  which  the 
world  gives.     May  this  reward  and  pleasure  be  richly  yours,  my 


38  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

dear  friend,  both  in  your  present  office,  and  in  that  higher  one 
to  which  you  have  devoted  yourself. 

After  receiving  the  article,  Prof.  Woods  TVTote : 

It  has  more  than  met  my  high-raised  expectations.  Give 
yourself  no  concern  in  regard  to  it.  The  views  it  contains  will 
hear  examination,  and  are  worthy  of  an  older  head.  My  only 
solicitude  is  that  you  may  have  overtaxed  yourself  in  the  broken 
state  of  your  health.  Let  me  exhort  you  now  to  dismiss  awhile 
all  the  hard  subjects  which  you  have  been  accustomed  to  re- 
volve, and  to  open  your  mind  to  the  influences  of  the  great  living 
and  moving  world.  .  .  .  May  God  keep  you  in  his  watch- 
ful care,  by  sea  and  land,  and  bring  you  back  to  us,  in  due  time, 
with  a  body  which  will  enable  your  mind  freely  to  accomplish 
the  gi-eat  and  good  work,  for  which  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  des- 
tined.    With  sincere  affection. 

Yours,  etc., 

Leonard  Woods,  Je. 

In  great  feebleness  and  uncertainty  he  j)arted  from 
Ms  friends,  and  sailed  from  New  York  for  Havre.  As 
he  left  Portland,  liis  friends  Hamlin  and  Prentiss  ac- 
companied him  to  the  boat  and  bade  him  farewell,  fear- 
ing that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more. 


Life  in  Europe.  ^0 


CHAPTER    II. 

LIFE   IN   EUROPE. — 1837-1840. 

He  spent  the  winter  of  1837-8  in  Paris,  in  a  weary, 
almost  desperate  struggle  with  disease  and  despondency, 
yet,  as  he  wrote,  "forcing  himself  to  nnremitting  exer- 
cise and  attention  to  all  the  rules  of  health."  He  wrote 
in  March:  "My  days  are  filled  up  with  reading,  hear- 
ing and  seeing.  I  write  enormously — between  forty  and 
fifty  letters  since  I  came  here,  and  between  twenty  and 
thirty  sheets  of  my  journal."  These  were  all  closely- 
filled  quarto  or  foolscap  sheets.  His  journal  is  rich  in 
its  descriptions  and  criticisms  of  buildings,  pictures, 
statues,  music,  lectures,  and  men.  He  heard,  from  day 
to  day,  the  i^rominent  lectures  at  the  Sorbonne,  at  the 
Institute,  and  at  the  Royal  Academy — Bartlielemy  and 
Isadore  St.  Hilaire,  Jouifroy,  Ampere,  Poset,  Wailly, 
Ducarroy,  Magendie,  etc.  Rev.  Edward  Kirk*  of  Al- 
bany was  in  Paris  that  winter,  eloquent  and  enthusias- 
tic. Rev.  Robert  Baird  collected  at  his  Saturday  even- 
ing reunions  for  the  exposition  of  the  Scriptures,  a  circle 
of  Christian  friends,  whom  it  was  the  greatest  pleasure 
of  the  lonely  invalid  to  meet.  Mr.  George  Ticknor, 
whose  receptions  were  a  great  attraction  to  the  American 
residents,  was  very  kind  to  him.  His  acquaintance  with 
Mr.  Charles  Sumner  began  at  this  time. 

"But,"  as  he  wrote  to  his  parents,  "the  sick,  sad, 
solitary  days  still  return,  when  the  past  is  all  black  and 
the  future  is  thick  clouds — days  which,  thank  God  !  are 

*  Afterwards  of  Boston. 


40  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

less  frequent  than  formerly."  "I  feel  most  bitterly  that 
I  am  alone,  and  I  sometimes  ask  myself  if  a  life  of  such 
constant  striving  should  be  striven  for,  and  then  am  full 
of  shame  that  such  a  question  should  arise.  O  God, 
help  me  still  to  struggle  !  " 

These  were  days  and  nights  of  prayer  out  of  the 
depths  ;  but  the  heavenly  Hand,  to  which  he  never 
ceased  to  cling  in  the  darkness,  was  leading  him  on  to 
peaceful  and  sunny  paths. 

To  his  friend,  Mr.  Prentiss,  he  writes,  February  2, 1838: 

The  insuflficiency  of  the  mere  pleasures  of  this  world  to  satisfy 
the  mind  I  have  never  felt  so  strongly  as  I  now  do.  Here  fashion 
and  pleasure  have  hoarded  all  their  stores,  and  decked  them- 
selves most  sumptuously.  And  yet,  I  have  never  felt  so  disap- 
pointed as  in  finding  that  this  is  all  that  wealth  and  taste  could 
do ;  and  I  return  to  simplicity  and  nature,  and  to  those  arts 
which  are  only  the  expression  of  the  natural  and  simple,  with  a 
double  relish.  And  here,  in  studying  the  works  of  painters  and 
sculjJtors,  a  new  development  of  the  mind  is  experienced  ;  and 
the  love  of  beauty  and  the  knowledge  of  what  is  beautiful  grow 
within  you. 

To  a  friend : 

Paris,  February  6,  1838. 

This  morning  I  went  to  hear  St.  Marc  Girardin,  the 
Professor  of  French  poetry  at  the  Sorbonne.  Eousseau's 
** Smile"  was  his  subject.  Girardin  is  not  only  a  professor 
at  the  Sorbonne,  but  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  French 
Chamber  of  Deputies.  This  is  the  way  France  rewards  her  men 
of  literary  talent,  and,  by  making  them  mix  in  politics,  makes 
them  less  visionary  as  writers.  Lamartine  was  this  year  re- 
turned as  deputy  by  three  different  colleges,  the  only  one  who 
had  that  honor.  .  .  .  Thus  literary  men,  instead  of  being 
a  separate  class,  are  a  part  of  the  State. 

I  went  into  a  church  at  almost  the  extreme  end  of  the  city, 
sufficiently  insignificant  on  the  exterior — but  I  make  it  a  point 
to  see  everything— and  there  I  found  two  or  three  most  beauti- 


Life  in  Europe.  41 

ful  pictures,  wliicli  would  reward  a  pilgrimage.  Generally,  I 
may  say,  that  in  the  splendor  and  gayety,  the  external  magnifi- 
cence of  Paris,  I  am  disappointed — partly  because  I  expected 
too  much,  partly  because  I  have  seen  little  of  it,  and  partly  be- 
cause I  know  it  all  to  be  a  vain  show.  I  can  imagine  a  thousand 
entertainments  more  splendid  than  any  which  the  wealth  of 
kings  in  all  their  prodigality  could  furnish.  .  .  .  But  in 
sculpture  and  painting  it  is  different ;  in  the  works  of  the  mighty 
masters  of  the  arts  there  is  a  source  of  fathomless  delight,  and 
precisely  because  it  is  fathomless  it  never  deceives,  it  always 
endures.  I  cannot  comprehend  them  at  once ;  I  cannot  pass 
them  over  in  general  terms  ;  I  cannot  be  satisfied  with  a  partial 
inspection.  They  are  the  development  of  something  which  I 
feel  to  be  stirring  in  my  own  soul ;  they  are  the  outward  expres- 
sions of  the  ideal  which  is  given  to  every  htiman  being.  And  as 
I  look  upon  them  I  can  feel  tliat  my  own  soul  is  smitten  with 
the  love  of  beauty,  and  that  here  is  described  all  which  I 
have  vainly  sought  to  express.  I  acknowledge  these  to  be  my 
masters,  and  I  bow  before  them.  I  do  not  comprehend  them, 
but  as  far  as  I  understand  I  only  admire,  and  I  feel  that  there  is 
something  which  I  have  not  learned  which  they  knew,  that  they 
had  studied  and  developed  their  natures  more  than  I  have ;  and 
that  it  is  possible  for  me,  having  the  same  nature,  to  develop  it 
until  it  can  understand  and  appreciate  those  Avhom  the  culti- 
vated minds  of  all  ages  have  ever  honored.  And,  such  is  the 
harmony  between  all  the  arts,  that  I  likewise  feel  that  I  am  pre- 
paring myself  to  be  a  better  preacher,  if  G-od  grant  me  life  and 
health  to  fill  that  most  important  station,  and  give  me  grace, 
too,  that  I  be  worthy  of  it, — that  I  am  preparing  myself  to  be  a 
better  preacher,  by  the  study  of  statuary  and  paintings.  These 
speak  to  and  kindle  the  same  souls  to  which  I  am  to  speak, 
which  I  am  to  try  to  arouse ;  they  touch  chords  in  the  same 
hearts  and  minds  which  I  am  to  endeavor  to  persuade.  Can  I 
not,  then,  learn  much  from  them  ?  Besides,  the  principles  of 
taste  and  harmony  are  the  same  for  all  the  arts,  rhetoric  inclu- 
sive. And  if  my  taste  can  in  any  degree  be  formed  by  studying 
these  principles  as  developed  by  the  painter  and  sculptor,  will 
it  not  influence  my  style  in  preaching  and  in  writing  ?  From 
these  two  arts  at  least  one  thing  is  learned,  and  that  is  simpli- 


42  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

city  ;  this  is  the  garb  of  the  beautiful  and  the  true.  One  would 
be  ashamed — as  I  am  most  heartily,  of  some  of  mine — of  tawdry 
ornaments,  and  affected  prettinesses,  after  looking  at  that  statue, 
so  simple,  yet  how  expressive  !  and  the  more  simple  the  more 
natural,  and  the  more  answering  to  the  ideal  within  us ;  or  at 
that  painting,  the  Assumption,  and  the  Virgin,  how  lovely,  mild, 
innocent,  simple,  natural ! 

To  Rev.  Benjamin  Tappan,  Jr.  : 

Paris,  February  14,  1838. 

.  .  .  The  lectures  in  which  I  have  been  most  interested  have 
been  those  of  Jouffroy,  upon  Psycbology,  at  the  Sorbonne.  He 
has  more  depth  and  originality  than  Cousin,  though  not  as  much 
of  the  eloquence  of  jihilosophical  enthusiasm.  Cousin  is  immersed 
in  politics,  and  he,  the  philosopher,  in  the  Chamber  of  Peers, 
has  given  the  lie  direct  to  another  member  !  He  has  found  time, 
however,  to  publish  an  edition  of  the  inedited  works  of  Abe- 
lard,  in  the  introduction  to  which  he  gives,  if  I  may  judge  from 
a  liberal  analysis  with  large  quotations,  a  very  fine  view  of  the  dis- 
cussion between  the  Nominalists  and  Eealists,  and  of  the  real  worth 
of  the  scholastic  philosophy.  His  value  is  in  the  ability  with 
which  he  develops  and  the  clearness  with  which  he  comments  on 
the  views  of  others.  He  is  more  highly  eulogized  in  America 
than  in  France,  while  in  Germany  he  is  known  only  as  a  retailer 
of  doctrines  which  their  philosophers  have  more  ably  developed. 
But  Jouffroy  is  different.  He  thinks  deeply,  thoroughly.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  sobriety  in  all  his  philosophizing. 

A  course  of  lectures  upon  Aristotle,  after  a  long  desuetude, 
has  been  lately  commenced  at  the  Royal  College  of  France,  by 
Bartholomew  St.  Hilaire,  a  very  promising  scholar,  who  has 
lately  translated  the  Logic.  His  translation  was  crowned  by  the 
Academy  of  Moral  and  Political  Science  of  the  Institute.  At 
this  ''Eenaissance  of  Aristotle"  I  " assisted,"  as  a  Frenchman 
would  say,  and  I  was  very  highly  interested,  and  heard  how 
essential  to  all  future  progress  was  a  thorough  comprehension  of 
Aristotle,  and  how  St.  Hilaire  was  going  to  raise  the  veil  which 
long  had  hung  over  him.     .     .     . 

Remember  me,  my  dear  friend,  in  your  prayers,  for  I  need 
them  much. 


Life  hi  Europe.  43 

To  a  friend: 

Paris,  February  26,  1838. 

Last  Sunday  we  had  some  most  interesting  services  in  the 
chapel  where  Mr,  Kirk  regularly  preaches.  The  communion  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered,  and  two  persons  were  re- 
ceived into  the  Church,  "  not,"  as  Mr.  Kirk  observed,  "to  a  sect 
or  a  party,  hut  to  the  Church  of  Christ."  The  ceremony  was 
most  interesting,  and  was  made  deeply  impressive  by  the  ex- 
hortations of  the  fervent  heart  and  strong  mind  of  Mr.  Kirk, 
whom  I  like  very  much.  And  most  interesting,  most  deeply  so, 
was  it  to  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper  thus  in  a  foreign  land. 
There  is  a  strengthening  influence  in  this  ordinance  when 
rightly  received — a  calming  and  a  purifying  influence,  which 
can  only  be  felt.  The  elements  are  something  more  than  mere 
signs  ;  they  are  symbols  also.  I  do  not  think  that  the  majority 
of  Christians  have  a  sufficiently  deep  apprehension  of  the  nature 
and  effects  of  this  sacrament.  Coleridge  once,  when  comparing 
the  views  of  the  Catholics  and  of  those  who  considered  the  bread 
and  wine  as  only  signs  (just  as  a  word  is  the  sign  of  a  thought), 
said  that  "the  former  ossified  it  into  an  idol,  and  the  latter 
volatilized  it  into  a  metaphor,"  and  most  admirably  was  this 
said,  and  well  does  it  show  the  two  extremes.  But  if  we  say 
that  the  Spirit  uses  this  sacrament,  rightly  received,  as  a  special 
means  for  imparting  his  richest  influences,  and  that  these  influ- 
ences are  bestowed  more  fully  in  the  case  of  observance  than 
otherwise,  and  that,  as  a  general  truth,  this  ordinance  is  neces- 
sary for  the  completest  growth  in  the  knowledge  of  Jesus,  I 
think  that  we  thus  have  a  scriptural  view  of  its  character,  and 
one,  too,  which  unites  the  opposing  views.  And  with  this  view 
is  not  the  danger  of  neglecting  it  most  fully  shown  ;  and  will 
not  the  benefits  realized  from  it  be  greater  to  the  well-instructed 
Christian,  than  to  him  who  has  not  a  just  appreciation  of  its 
real  character  ?  It  did  me  good;  it  was  a  real  delight  to  be  there 
with  my  brethren,  and  for  a  time  it  calmed  some  of  my  anxious 
thoughts  and  gloomy  fears ;  but  alas  !  only  for  a  time.     .     .     . 

To  the  same : 

Pere  la  Chaise,  February  27th. 

Yesterday  I  went  and  enjoyed  (with  a  certain  kind  of  mourn- 


44  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

ful  pleasure)  a  walk  among  the  sepulchers  and  splendid  tombs 
and  hallowed  spots  of  this  consecrated  place.  I  need  not  say 
how  impressive,  how  much  more  so  than  an  ordinary  burial 
place,  is  this  spot  that  contains  the  remains  of  so  many  great 
men.  ...  I  witnessed  the  burial  of  one  of  the  sisters  of 
charity,  and  the  Catholic  forms  were  certainly  impressive ;  the 
chants,  the  crucifix  held  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  the  pall  held 
over  it  and  sprinkled  with  water  by  all  the  mourners,  each  in 
turn,  and  the  priests  themselves  throwing  the  first  earth  upon 
the  coffin.  To  this  place  Silvestre  de  Sacy  has  been  recently 
consigned.  I  was  present  at  St.  Sulpice  during  the  whole  of 
the  ceremonies  there.  To  the  sound  of  the  muffled  drums,  and 
the  deep  bass  of  the  musical  instruments,  and  the  resounding 
chantings  of  the  priests,  and  the  voices  of  an  immense  throng, 
were  the  funereal  rites  performed.  And  attended  by  many  an 
armed  soldier,  by  the  great  in  science,  art,  literature  and  poli- 
tics, all  in  full  array,  and  by  the  plumed  hearse  and  the  pomp  of 
a  long  procession,  was  his  body  borne  to  its  kindred  dust.  And 
attended,  as  we  may  hope,  by  angels,  was  his  spirit  carried  to 
the  God  who  gave  it.  And  thus  he  died  and  was  buried,  and  by 
his  side  was  carried  to  the  grave  one  whom  few  knew,  whom 
none  lamented,  who  was  thrown  into  the  common  trenches. 
Yet,  were  not  their  spirits  equal  before  God  ? 


He  left  Paris  in  April,  1838,  journeying,  mostly  on 
foot,  through  Belgium,  to  Cologne,  thence  by  boat  up 
the  Rhine  to  Mayence,  and  on  by  diligence  to  Halle. 
There  he  remained,  with  occasional  absences,  for  a  year, 
his  original  purpose  of  returning  home  in  the  autumn 
yielding  to  the  advice  of  friends,  and  to  his  own  con- 
viction of  the  benefit  of  a  longer  course  of  study  in  Ger- 
many. This  year  in  Halle  was  one  of  the  greatest  inter- 
est to  him,  and  of  the  strongest  influence  upon  his  after 
life :  it  was  brightened  by  returning  health  and  hope, 
by  enthusiastic  study,  and  by  close  intercourse  and 
warm  friendships  among  both  students  and  profes- 
sors. 


Life  171  Europe,  45 

To  Ms  parents : 

NAMim,  March  18,  1838. 

All  the  apprehended  difficulties  of  traveling  vanish  as  I  meet 
them,  and  though  'tis  a  strange  land  and  a  strange  people,  yet 
'tis  human  nature  still,  and  I  find  laws  and  conscience  every- 
where, often  kindness,  also,  because  I  am  a  stranger,  and  "so 
young !"  as  the  old  women  say,  "traveling  about  all  alone!" 
And  the  tone  in  which  some  ask  me  if  I  am  not  afraid  to  do  so, 
assures  me  that  I  have  nothing  to  fear  from  them.  The  days, 
the  weeks  are  passing.  I  can  count  my  absence  now  by  months, 
and  how  glad  I  shall  be  when  I  shall  count  the  time  liefore  I 
shall  see  you  by  days  only  !  May  God  grant  me  that  great  joy  ! 
.  .  .  Our  friendship  [that  between  himself  and  Mr.  Goodwin] 
is  something  to  rejoice  in.  It  has  never  known  a  blight  or  a 
suspicion.  It  is,  I  believe,  as  perfect  as  any  friendship  can  be  in 
this  world.  It  has  increased  as  we  have  known  one  another  more 
thoroughly  :  it  is  to  be  immortal. 

To  a  friend  • 

Halle,  April  12,  1838. 

Safely  arrived  at  length,  just  about  at  the  time  when 
I  had  become  tired  of  wandering.  I  walked,  with  my  knap- 
sack on  my  back,  my  umbrella  in  my  hand,  and  my  Testa- 
ment and  Handbook  in  my  pocket,  as  far  as  Coblentz,  spending 
a  Sabbath  on  the  top  of  Drachenfels,  stopping  a  day  at  Bonn 
where  Schlegel  lectures,  a  most  lovely  place,  with  a  grand  Uni- 
versity building,  once  a  palace,  seeing  a  thousand  things  of  which 
I  cannot  now  write.  I  went  among  the  tufa  hills  to  the  volca- 
nic region  of  the  Eifel,  climbed  the  hills  to  see  on  their  top  the 
singular  lake  which  is  called  Laacher  Zee,  and  went  into  the 
depths  of  the  earth  to  see  the  millstone  quarries  which  are  exca- 
vated in  the  heart  of  the  mountains,  and  which  are  also  very 
remarkable  and  grand.  At  Coblentz  I  took  the  steamer  for  May- 
ence,  and  sailed  up  the  Ehine  between  these  two  places  on  a  most 
delightful  day.  .  .  .  But  it  was  the  "glorious  Ehine  "  which 
was  my  best  company.  Though  the  vine  is  not  yet  green  upon 
its  hills  nor  have  the  trees  put  forth  their  foliage,  yet  the  grand 
outlines  of  the  scenery  remain  the  same  always.  The  grand  in 
nature  is  always  grand,  and  all  I  lost  was  its  contrast  with  the 


46  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

beautiful.  Still  left  to  me  were  all  the  historical  associations 
connected  with  every  city  upon  its  borders,  and  the  legends  that 
add  a  charm  to  every  rock,  and  make  all  the  ruined  castles  as 
interesting  in  the  narrative  as  they  are  in  the  scenery.  Still  left, 
too,  was  the  RJiine,  with  its  broad  and  steady  flow,  with  its 
windings  and  its  precipices,  its  teeming  cities  and  frequent  vil- 
lages, its  hills  of  grandeur  and  quiet  vales,  and,  more  than  all,  its 
ruined  castles  and  dismantled  towers  ("robbers'  nests,"  as  the 
Germans  call  them),  making  it  indeed  to  be  the  "castellated 
Ehine."  .  .  .  The  most  striking  thought  which  one  has  in 
journeying  upon  the  Ehine,  and  it  is  the  same  throughout  all 
Europe,  that  which,  especially,  an  American  has  in  the  strongest 
degree,  is  that  the  old  is  everywhere  struggling  with  the  new. 
Familiar  as  tliis  was  to  me  from  the  whole  history  of  modern 
Europe,  I  had  not  expected  to  find  it  so  distinctly  written  upon 
the  very  face  of  the  country.  You  see  it  everywhere,  and  wher- 
ever you  see  it,  there  also  may  you  prophesy  that  the  old  will 
pass  away — the  old  institutions,  the  old  policy,  the  old  forms, 
the  old  ranks — all  are  passing  away.  The  castles  are  tenantless, 
and  now  make  only  the  scenery  more  picturesque.  The  churches 
which  the  papal  despotism  erected,  and  which  only  a  despotism 
could  have  constructed,  are  also  crumbling  ;  magnificent  are 
they,  but  they  are  the  monuments  of  oppression.  The  palace  of 
the  Bishop  of  Liege  is  now  an  establishment  for  the  iron  manu- 
factories of  an  enterprising  merchant.  I  saw  a  church  on  a  hill, 
at  a  distance.  I  climbed  up  to  it  and  heard  the  clatter  of  the 
machines  of  a  cotton  factory.  A  nunnery  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Ehine  now  sends  forth  an  excellent  broadcloth.  These,  and 
such-like  are  the  signs  of  coming  events.  It  is  the  "  monarchy 
of  the  middle  classes,"  which  is  to  succeed  the  oppression  of  the 
Pope  and  the  despotism  of  the  Emperor.  It  is  the  merchant  who 
buys  the  castle  of  the  baron  ;  it  is  enterprise  which  is  taking 
the  place  of  hereditary  power.  Everywhere  are  the  marks  of 
change,  but  it  is  a  change  which  is  a  progress  also. 

"The  old  is  passing  away,"  he  wrote  in  his  Journal  at  this 
time,  "  and  they  are  blind  who  in  the  very  edifices  of  Europe 
cannot  read  this  distinctly.  It  is  passing  away,  too,  gradually, 
like  all  healthful  changes.  Whenever  it  has  m.ade  a  galvanic 
start  it  has  always  been  rebuffed  and  beaten  back  for  a  time,  and 


Life  in  Europe.  47 

for  the  moment  lost ;  but  when  the  change  has  been  gradual,  it 
has  always  kept  the  ground  which  it  has  taken.  The  changes 
achieved  by  war  have  been  less  durable  than  those  made  by  legis- 
lation." 

From  Frank-fort  (where  I  spent  a  day  and  a  half  very  pleasantly 
with  some  Christian  friends),  I  rode  all  the  time  for  two  days  and 
two  nights  in  haste  to  get  to  this  place,  partly  because  I  was  almost 
tired  of  sight-seeing  and  traveling,  and  partly  because  I  had  been 
nearly  five  weeks  without  any  letters.  My  stage  companions 
show  well  what  European  traveling  is :  a  merchant  from  St. 
Petersburg,  who  spoke  four  languages,  among  them  the  English, 
very  well ;  a  good  old  lady  from  Geneva ;  a  student  from  London 
who  has  been  here  four  or  five  years,  and  whom  I  found  to  be  a 
very  intelligent  fellow  ;  a  couple  of  Prussian  officers,  etc.  The 
old  lady  from  Geneva  interested  me  a  good  deal.  She  knew  not 
a  word  of  German.  She  knew  not  how  far  was  the  place  to 
which  she  was  going.  She  had  traveled  all  the  way  from  Geneva 
alone.  She  was  going  to  rejoin  a  daughter  whom  she  had  not 
seen  for  twenty-two  years.  She  knew  not  the  money  of  the 
country,  and  gave  her  purse  into  the  hands  of  the  inn-keepers. 
But  such  a  woman  might  almost  travel  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 
in  security. 

Great  was  my  disappointment  on  being  told  at  the  post-office 
that  there  were  no  letters  for  me  !  Professor  Tholuck,  too,  is  ab- 
sent, and  had  it  not  been  for  an  almost  accidental  meeting  with 
a  young  theologian,  who  is  the  amanuensis  of  Prof.  Tholuck,  I 
should  have  been  entirely  at  a  loss.  But  he  has  been  very  kind 
to  me,  and,  through  his  good  offices,  I  am  now  most  comfortably 
established  in  the  family  of  Prof.  Ulrici,  who,  with  his  wife,  is 
most  kind  to  me,  and  they  give  me  a  real  liome  and  a  hearty  wel- 
come. He  speaks  both  French  and  English  a  little,  and  with 
that,  by  the  help  of  Latin  and  Greek  and  German,  we  manage  to 
keep  talking  all  the  time  that  we  are  together.  I  have  not  been 
so  comfortable,  really  comfortable,  since  I  left  my  own  home  in 
America.  Were  I  a  brother  they  could  not  be  more  kind  to  me. 
As  to  the  letters,  I  have  found  out  that  two  packages  came  here 
for  me,  but  the  Paris  bankers  forgot  to  put  on  the  poste-restante, 
and  they  have  been  sent  back  to  the  American  consul  at  Havre. 
I  am  very  well  now.     The  goodness,  the  marvelous  goodness,  the 


48  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

free  and  boundless  grace  of  God  has  mercifully  kept  me  in  the 
midst  of  all  dangers.  I  trust  that  this  will  only  make  my  grati- 
tude greater  and  deeper. 

To  Jiis  parents : 

Halle,  April  20,  1838. 

I  had  left  my  letter  of  introduction  at  Professor  Tholuck's 
house,  and,  about  a  week  afterward,  the  servant  came  into  my 
room  and  gave  me  a  message,  of  which  I  managed  to  understand 
*'Tholuck,"  "come  back,"  and  "four  o'clock  this  afternoon,"' 
and  from  this  as  the  raw  material,  I  framed  the  rest,  and  at  four 
went  to  see  him.  After  talking  a  little  while,  he  proposed  a 
walk,  and  for  two  hours  we  walked  and  talked.  He  speaks  the 
English  remarkably  well,  even  with  the  English  accent,  and  you 
could  detect  him  only  by  the  too  attic  precision  with  which  he 
dwells  upon  the  more  difficult  sounds,  as  Oli.  He  spealcs  also 
French,  Greek,  Latin,  Polish,  Euss,  Italian,  Spanish,  Hebrew, 
Syriac,  Arabic,  Chaldee,  Low  Dutch,  etc.,  etc.,  and  that  etc.  is 
not  a  vain  expletive,  for  he  does  speaJc  yet  more.  His  conver- 
sation would  not  lead  to  the  inference  that  he  was  a  man  of  pro- 
found attainments,  except  occasionally,  when  some  great  and 
rich  thought,  some  very  striking  remark,  arrests  the  attention. 
But  he  is  most  quiet  and  unpretending,  and  perfectly  simple  in 
all  his  ways.  He  received  me  with  the  greatest  cordiality,  has 
given  me  the  free  entrance  of  his  house,  and  permits  me  to  go 
with  him  in  some  of  his  walks,  has  thrown  open  his  library  to 
me,  and,  in  every  respect,  treated  me  more  kindly  than  I  could 
have  anticipated. 

To  a  friend: 

Halle,  May  12,  1838. 

He  [Professor  TholuckJ  is  a  most  delightful  man,  and 
has  been  most  kind  to  me.  He  speaks  English  remark- 
ably well  ;  and  when  I  am  talking  with  him,  I  feel  as  if  my 
tongue  and  my  heart  were  both  let  loose  from  the  bonds.  In 
person  he  is  very  slender,  his  face  is  very  mild,  his  smile  very 
lovely,  a  good  forehead,  though  not  striking,  except  from  its 
breadth,  a  large,  full  blue  eye,  around  which,  hoAvever,  pain  and 
disease  have  contracted  the  lids.  He  suifers  much.  I  was  walk- 
ing up  and  down  his  room  with  him  the  other  evening,  when  he 


Life  i7i  Europe.  4g 

suddenly  seized  my  arm  very  strongly  ;  a  spasm  of  pain  was  upon 
him  ;  this  he  soon  mastered  and  was  soon  laughing  heartily 
again.  His  learning  is  most  varied,  and  accurate  also.  As  an 
instance,  last  evening  Prof.  Ulrici  (my  host)  had  a  small  com- 
pany, among  whom  was  Prof.  T.,  and  read  a  German  translation 
of  the  Antigone.  Prof.  IT.  was  reading  very  animatedly,  when 
Prof.  T.  interrupted  him,  asking  whether  such  a  word  were  not 
a  palpable  mistranslation  of  the  original.  It  was  found  to  be  so. 
After  the  reading  was  finished,  he  also  commented  in  his  clear, 
full  voice  (a  voice  which  surprises  you  because  it  comes  from  so 
slight  a  frame)  upon  various  parts  of  the  drama  most  admira- 
bly. I  have  been  reading  some  of  his  sermons,  and  admire  them 
exceedingly,  they  are  so  impassioned  ;  there  is  so  much  move- 
ment, feeling,  energy  and  naturalness  in  them.  There  is  far  less 
of  logic  in  them  than  in  most  of  the  American  sermons  ;  neither 
can  they  be  admired  as  logical  wlioles,  but  I  have  long  since 
given  that  up  as  being  the  only  canon  of  criticism.  And  here  I 
am  at  one  of  those  German  Universities.  And  I  think  I  am 
here,  too,  with  soberer  views  and  feelings  than  I  have  ever  had 
before,  holding  fast  to  the  faith  and  principles,  which,  from  my 
own  experience,  I  have  found  to  be  true,  and  which  I  have 
drawn,  I  believe,  from  the  Bible,  and  have  found  adapted  to 
both  my  heart  and  my  intellect.  I  think  I  have  some  deeply- 
grounded  principles  in  regard  to  religious  truth  which  cannot 
easily  be  shaken.  But  I  feel  my  weakness,  and  can  only  pray  to 
God  for  light  and  strength  ;  for  only  when  the  heart  is  kept  pure 
and  dependent  upon  him,  will  the  theology  be  correct.  Feel- 
ing this  dependence,  and  praying  that  it  may  ever  be  increased, 
as  to  the  rest,  of  course,  I  must  think,  study  and  decide  for 
myself. 

My  principal  studies  at  Halle  are  Theology  and  Philosophy, 
I  am  getting  into  the  German  metaphysics,  for  I  cannot  keep 
out  of  them.  Whatever  may  be  said  against  the  German  philos- 
ophy, it  must  still  be  acknowledged,  that  in  philosophy  itself 
this  people  has  made  astonishing  progress ;  that,  in  the  investi- 
gations of  the  fundamental  questions  of  metaphysics,  they  are 
far  before  any  other  nation. 
4 


50  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

May  19,  1838  (Journal). 

Dined  with  Prof.  Tholuck,  and,  after  his  lecture,  went  to  walk 
with  him.  He  explained  to  me  the  Trinity  of  Hegel,  according 
to  the  interpretation  of  some  of  his  followers.  AVondered  at  my 
receiving  so  calmly  such  an  opinion,  without  crying  out  at  its 
strangeness.  Explained  to  him  my  mental  habits.  ''  So  un- 
American  ! "  said  he.  He  said  that  he  had  read  the  book  of  Reed 
and  Matheson  with  two  different,  almost  contradictory  feelings. 
One  was,  where  be  was  often  moved  almost  to  tears,  when  he 
read  of  the  state  of  Christian  feeling  and  Christian  activity  and 
Christian  trustfulness  :  but,  again,  when  he  read  of  the  state  of 
social  intercourse  he  felt  chilled,  it  being  too  much  the  case  that 
there  was  only  one  round  of  topics,  etc.  He  could  not  bear  to 
live  in  a  country  where  art  was  not  respected,  and  where  ideal 
and  universal  interests  could  not  be  discussed.  Then  followed 
a  long  discussion  upon  the  American  character.  He  inquired  a 
good  deal  about  American  institutions,  climate,  people,  etc.  ; 
said  that  he  had  sometimes  seriously  thought  of  going  there,  and 
still  had  some  expectation  of  one  day  doing  it. 

A  discourse  on  the  German  Hoflichkeit,  and  a  message  to 
Prof.  TJlrici,  viz.,  "Herr  Prof.  T.  wunscht  dass  Ich  der  Fiir- 
sprecher  der  tiefgefiihlten  Verehrung  von  den  hoch  zu  achtenden 
Gesinnung  sei,  wodurch  schbn  lilngstder  Herr  Prof,  alien  Edeln 
des  Landes  theuer  geworden  zu  sein,  das  stolze  Bewusstseyn 
haben  kann  ; "  and  said  he  would  one  day  introduce  me  to  a 
friend  who  spoke  in  the  same  style.  But  the  message  he  gave 
me  two  or  three  days  since  was  his  chef  d'ceuvre  :  "Herr  Prof. 
T.  wunscht  dass  Ich  das  lebendige  Binderglied  der  wechselseiti- 
gen  und  hochachtenden  Gesinnungen  sei,  wodurch  sein  Ge- 
muth  mit  dem  Ihrigen  in  unaufloschlichen  Zusammenschlingung 
verbinden  ist." 

I  sent  him  by  Prof.  U.  the  next  day,  the  following  :  "  Herr  S. 
wunscht  dass  Ich  der  Grussbotschafter  der  unmittelbarsten  und 
durchdringensten  Gef iihls  der  Ehrerbietung  sei,  mit  welchen  Er, 
der  dankbarste  Diener  Ihrer  ausgezeichnetesten  und  durchlaucht- 
igsten  Consistorialrath-schaft  die  Ehre  zu  sein  bat."  He  sent 
me  back  a  "  Bravo,"  and  an  invitation  to  dinner. 


Life  in  Europe.  51 

To  his  parents  :  Halle,  June  11,  1838. 

I  spent  the  week  of  vacation  in  Berlin,  I  went  tliere  prin- 
cipally to  consult  a  celebrated  physician,  Dr.  Jiingken,  the 
first  occulist  of  Prussia.  Prof.  Tholuck  strongly  advised  me 
to  see  him.  I  saw  Dr.  J.  three  times,  and  told  him  all  about 
myself,  and  he  inquired  very  particularly  and  minutely  about 
all  my  symptoms,  and  his  conclusion,  expressed  after  delib- 
eration, and  expressed  repeatedly  and  decidedly,  is  that  I  can 
become  wholly  well  again.  But  in  order  to  this  he  says  that  I 
must  not  j'et  study,  that  though  much  better  than  when  I  left 
home,  1  am  still  not  well  enough  to  authorize  close  application, 
and  particularly  that  I  must  spend  the  summer  months  in  re- 
laxation entire  ;  that  the  very  best  thing  I  can  do,  will  be  to  go 
with  Prof.  Tholuck  to  Kissingen,  as  Prof.  T.  proposes,  there  to 
use  the  baths  for  three  weeks,  and  then  among  the  Tyrol  Moun- 
tains, there  to  breathe  the  fresh  air,  and  to  strengthen  my  sys- 
tem, for  which  by  the  baths  it  will  already  have  been  prepared. 
He  says  that  he  considers  this  not  only  useful  but  necessary  to 
my  surest  and  quickest  recovery.  I  told  him  of  my  attacks,  of 
my  state  of  mind,  of  the  whole  progress  of  the  disease,  and  of  my 
wish  to  know  decidedly  his  opinion,  and  this  is  the  result.  And 
this  opinion,  coming  to  the  confirmation  of  .the  hopes  which  I 
have  been  beginning  to  form,  has  brought  me  nearer  to  a  sober 
confidence  in  the  probability  of  life  and  health  than  I  have  before 
had.  He  says  that  my  nervous  system  has  been  unstrung,  and, 
for  one  of  my  age,  alarmingly  so  ;  and  that  I  must  be  very  cau- 
tious and  prudent,  and  use  all  the  means  of  recovery.  And  now 
the  question  with  me  is,  what  shall  I  do  ?  I  have  not  time  to 
hear  from  you  before  the  time  when  I  ought  to  go  to  the  Baths. 
Prof.  T.  will  go  the  last  of  July  or  the  first  of  August.  Left 
thus  to  myself,  I  have  decided  to  go  at  least  to  Kissingen  till  the 
last  of  August,  and  there  to  hope  for  a  letter  from  you.  Here, 
in  Halle,  I  shall  stay  and  study  moderately,  till  the  time  of  my 
departure  comes.  .  .  .  God  has  been  so  overflowing  in  his 
mercies  to  me  that  I  will  still  hope  that  the  blessing  of  returning 
and  of  finding  all  whom  I  love  yet  in  health  and  life,  and,  more 
than  this,  yet  more  devoted  to  the  will  of  God — that  this  may 
still  be  granted  me  !    And  when  will  this  be  ?    And  will  you  be 


52  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

unchanged  ?  and  shall  I  he  changed  ?     Not  in  the  love  in  which 
I  am  as  ever,  your  son,  Henry. 

On  his  jonrney  in  August,  in  company  with  Pro- 
fessor Tholuck,  lie  wrote  : 

Parting  with  Professor  Ulrici  and  his  wife  was  painful,  for  I 
love  them  very  much,  and  they  also  love  me.  Before  leaving,  I 
told  the  Professor  what  my  circumstances  were,  and  tliat  I 
thought  I  should  be  obliged  to  leave  liim  and  take  a  cheaper 
lodging  ;  but  he  would  not  hear  anything  about  it,  and  said  that 
I  must  stay  with  him  and  give  him  what  I  could  and  he  would 
be  satisfied,  '*  for,''  said  he,  Avith  all  the  simplicity  of  a  German's 
heart,  "I  love  you  and  want  you  to  stay  with  me." 

To  Ids  j^arents  : 

Wild  Baad  Gastein,  August  35,  1838. 

You  cannot  think  what  a  joy  it  has  been  to  me  to  make 
this  journey  in  company  with  Prof.  Tholuck  ;  it  was,  I  believe, 
the  very  best  thing  that  could  have  been  done  for  me.  He  has 
such  a  boundless  store  of  knowledge,  he  is  so  kind  and  so 
Christian,  he  has  such  a  lovely  and  exalted  character,  and 
withal,  I  may  say,  he  has  taken  such  an  affectionate  interest  in 
me,  that  language  fails  me  to  express  my  gratitude  and  my  ad- 
miration. What  a  dream  it  would  have  been  had  any  one  a  year 
ago  told  me  that  I  should  make  a  journey  in  his  company  !  As 
we  kneel  together  to  pray,  his  prayers  are  so  simple  and  so  fer- 
vent ;  as  we  talk  upon  religious  experience,  his  feelings  are  so 
deep,  his  faith  so  childlike  and  sincere  ;  as  we  discuss  questions 
in  philosophy  and  theology,  his  knowledge  is  so  extensive,  and 
his  philosophy  so  Christian  ;  or  as  we  talk  uj^on  men  and  man- 
ners, his  remarks  are  so  just,  his  criticisms  so  acute,  and  his  de- 
tection of  the  humorous  so  rapid,  that,  take  him  all  in  all,  I  have 
never  met  and  do  not  expect  again  to  meet  such  a  man.  Here 
he  is  universally  beloved.  Wherever  he  goes  troops  of  admirers 
and  friends  crowd  around  him.  Of  every  party  where  ho  is  he 
is  the  life,  and  now  makes  all  laugh  by  his  admirable  art  of 
story-telling,  or  all  listen  in  silent  attention  while  he  develops 
and  explains  some  great  truth,  and  entices  even  the  indifferent 


Life  in  Eiwope.  53 

or  the  hostile,  if  they  will  not  love  Christianity  itself,  to  admire 
it  as  developed  in  him.  Among  all  the  mercies  for  which,  in 
this  separation  from  home  and  friends,  I  have  to  thank  God, 
the  greatest  is  that  I  have  found  in  him  such  a  friend. 

To  Mr.  Prentiss : 

Wild  Baad  Gastein  (Tyrol),  August  30,  1838. 

My  dear  George  :  The  journey  thus  far  has  been  a  very 
delightful  one — how  could  it  be  otherwise  in  such  company  ? 
and  the  merciful  Providence  of  God  has  been  nigh  unto  me, 
confirming  my  health  and  strength,  gradually  lessening  my  fears, 
and  displacing  despondency  with  hope.  After  leaving  Halle  we 
came  first  to  Weimar.  At  Erfurth  the  principal  object  of  inter- 
est is  the  cell  where  Luther  studied,  and  the  church  where  he 
first  officiated.  At  Kissingen  we  remained  three  weeks  to  use 
the  waters,  and  met  much  pleasant  company,  especially  English 
and  Scotch.*  At  Erlangen  we  spent  a  couple  of  days  with  Prof. 
Olshausen,  as  delightful  a  man  in  personal  intercourse  as  he  is 
in  his  books.  At  Munich  we  dined  with  von  Schubert,  whom 
you  perhaps  know  as  the  author  of  the  "Geschichte  der  Seele," 
a  warm  friend  of  Tholuck,  who  possesses  a  great  personal  influ- 
ence among  the  friends  of  religion,  though  by  others  he  is  ac- 
cused of  mysticism  ;  yet  they  still  say  if  he  be  a  mystic  he  is 
one  from  conviction,  ''and  would,"  said  one  man  with  whom  I 
was  talking  about  S.,  "would  that  I  could  have  his  conviction 
— but  I  cannot."  ...  Of  all  that  I  have  enjoyed,  and 
thought,  and  learned  since  I  came  here,  I  can  tell  you  nothing, 
except  the  result,  which  is,  as  you  may  already  know,  the  deter- 
mination to  remain  here  another  year.  If  we  could  so  contrive 
it,  George,  as  to  make  a  part  of  the  tour  of  Europe  together ! 
What  say  you  ?  The  state  of  religious  things  is  worse  than  I 
thought,  very  much.  Eationalism  is,  to  be  sure,  already  "an- 
tiquated," as  the  Germans  say,  but  Philosophy  is  lifting  up  its 
head  most  fearfully  against  religion,  and  in  the  guise  of  religion 
is  perverting  its  purest  doctrines.  And  the  literature  now  the 
most  current  is  that  of  a  party  whose  object,  as  they  themselves 


*  It  was  here  at  this  time  that  Prof.  Tholuck  first  met  the  lady  who  soon 
afterwards  became  his  wife. 


54  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

say,  is  to  bring  out  more  clearly  the  rights  of  the  flesh  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  arrogance  of  the  Spirit.  Strauss's  ''Life  of  Christ" 
represents  the  opinion  of  this  class  of  writers  so  far  as  they  have 
any  in  a  religious  point  of  view.  It  is  wonderful  what  influence 
that  book  has  exerted  among  all  classes.  What  one  person  said 
after  reading  it,  "  it  is  now  all  over  with  Jesus,"  speaks  the 
mind  of  many.  And  the  Catholic  question  in  regard  to  the 
bishop  of  Cologne  and  mixed  marriages,  important  not  so  much 
in  itself  as  in  showing  what  an  unsuspected  power  Rome  still  has — 
the  spread  of  Catholicism  in  many  parts  of  Germany  and  in 
France,  all  are  of  inauspicious  augury.  How  little  do  we  in 
America  think  what  Catholicism  still  is  in  Europe,  what  talent 
is  enlisted  in  its  defence,  or  what  a  bold  and  scientific  attitude 
it  is  assuming.  One  of  the  first  philosophers  in  Vienna,  Gun- 
ther,  has  lately  gone  over. 


To  Ms  parents  : 

Salzburg,  September  8,  1838. 

The  week  just  passed  has  been  an  interesting  one,  spent, 
mainly,  in  traveling  about,  partly  on  foot,  through  some  of  the 
finest  parts  of  Germany.  Sunday  we  were  in  Gastein,  and  a  very 
pleasant  Sabbath  indeed  was  it  to  me.  In  the  forenoon  Prof. 
T.  and  I  had  a  service  all  by  ourselves — prayers,  and  I  read  a 
chapter  in  the  Bible  which  he  expounded  most  delightfully,  and, 
though  we  were  there  all  alone,  yet  he  was  as  full  of  animation, 
of  thought  and  of  feeling  as  if  a  large  congregation  were  before 
him.  I  shall  never  forget  this  hour.*  Prof.  T.  says  that  he 
never  knows  the  time  when  he  is  not  in  a  fit  state  to  write  a  ser- 
mon. He  writes  always  by  dictation.  When  w^e  were  at  Kis- 
singen  he  had  no  sermon  which  he  thought  fit  to  preach,  and  so 
I  wrote  one  for  him  which  he  dictated.  This  was  the  best  ser- 
mon I  have  heard  him  preach  ;  all  the  auditory  was  melted  to 

*  Prof.  Tholuck  thus  alhides  to  this  time  in  a  letter  dated  July  1,  1856  : 
"  I  am  sure  that  you  as  well  as  I  will  remember  that  little  room  at  Gastein 
as  long  as  we  live, — I  in  brotherly  thankfulness  to  you,  for  how  much  was 
your  love  to  me  in  my  hard  fight  of  soul  and  body  !  "  And  in  a  postscript  : 
"If  it  please  God,  I  shall  this  year  visit  again  our  room  at  Gastein,  and  we 
shall  then  think  of  you  most  affectionately." 


Life  ill  Eitrope.  55 

tears  by  its  pathos  and  power  ;  tlie  coldest  and  the  most  heart- 
less could  not  resist  the  impression.  In  the  afternoon  a  long 
walk.  The  weather  was  delightful,  and  among  these  grand 
scenes  where  the  majesty  of  Jehovah  is  displayed,  the  prayerful 
mind  finds  itself  ever  impelled  to  turn  to  Ilim.  And  who  ex- 
cept one  whose  soul  is  reconciled  with  God  can  fully  rejoice  in 
the  works  of  His  hands  ?  Monday  we  dispatched  our  luggage  to 
Salzburg,  for  so  unfavorable  has  been  the  bath  on  Prof.  T.  that 
he  has  been  obliged  to  give  it  up  altogether.  It  brought  him  to 
such  an  intensity  of  suffering  as  I  have  never  known  any  one  to 
be  in,  driving  him  to  the  brink  of  insanity.  I  have  been  by  him 
through  all,  and  oh,  how  his  faith  triumphed  over  every  thing  ! 
Walked  in  Koetchak  valley  four  hours  with  Prof.  T. ;  very  grand  ; 
a  snow-clad  mountain  at  the  end  which  seemed  to  rise  ever 
higher  as  we  approached, — a  wholly  secluded  valley,  hemmed  in 
by  mountains,  bold,  precipitous,  overawing.  Discussed  theo- 
logical questions.  ''  One  thing,"  said  Prof.  T.,  "I  hold  fast  in 
the  midst  of  all — the  advent  of  Christ.  If  this  be  historically 
verified,  there  is  nothing  like  it ;  if  we  deny  it,  all  must  be  de- 
nied. If  He  appeared  as  is  narrated  we  must  believe  Him,  and 
if  we  believe  Him,  all  is  safe." 

Lucerne,  September  23,  1838. 

As  to  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  since  I  came  to  Europe,  I 
thank  God  that  He  has  thus  far  enabled  me  to  keep  a  clear  con- 
science. I  have  repeatedly  declined  invitations  for  Sabbath 
evening,  at  some  pain  to  myself  and  to  others.  I  have  often,  at 
Halle,  withdrawn  from  the  society  of  my  friends,  in  order  that  I 
might  spend  it  more  sacredly.  On  principle  they  are  opposed  to 
spending  it  as  strictly  as  I  do,  but  at  the  same  time  they  per- 
fectly understood  my  views.  To-day  I  have  been  v/alking  the 
whole  day,  yet  I  think  it  has  been  a  profitable  Sunday  to  me,  for 
I  have  had  much  serious  talk  with  my  companion, — and  then  I 
have  been  among  some  of  the  grandest  of  the  works  of  Him,  who 
is  equally  tlie  God  of  nature  and  the  God  of  grace.  While  I  was 
with  Prof.  Tholuck,  he  twice  delayed  traveling  on  account  of 
my  scruples,  which  he  justified  me  in  observing,  though  his  own 
opinions  were  different. 


56  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


October  13. 


I  long  for  the  time  when  I  shall  see  you  yet  once  more,  if  the 
Lord  spare  me.  He  is  training  me  to  his  work.  I  know  it — I 
feel  it,  and  have  consecrated  myself  anew  to  His  service,  and 
may  He  bless  me  in  it.  Most  affectionately  your  loving  son 
Henry  ; — how  I  long  to  be  called  Henry  again  by  you— nobody 
but  Prof.  Tholuck  does  it  here. 

Geneva,  October  16,  1838. 

Since  I  last  wrote  you  I  have  made,  alone,  the  tour  of  the 
finest  parts  of  Switzerland,  going  through  the  Oberland,  and 
then,  by  the  way  of  Berne,  Freiburg  and  Lausanne,  coming  to 
this  place.  Prof.  Tholuck  had  given  me  letters  to  several  of  the 
most  celebrated  men  here.  Among  others,  to  Dr.  Malan,  a  man 
most  remarkable  on  many  accounts.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
who  embraced  the  pure  doctrines  of  the  Gosj)el,  at  the  time  that 
all  Geneva  had  become  Arian  or  Socinian.  He  received  me  with 
the  greatest  kindness,  and  introduced  me  to  one  of  his  neigh- 
bors, Mr.  Wolff,  where  I  can  board  as  long  as  I  wish.  The  day 
after  I  came,  while  we  were  sitting  round  the  table  after  dinner, 
Dr.  Malan  came  in,  and  introduced  me  to  another  American, 
whose  name  I  could  not  understand.  I  looked  at  his  eyes — was 
quite  sure  I  had  seen  him  before — looked  again,  my  eyes  fell 
on  the  lower  part  of  his  face,  'twas  a  Mussulman's  beard  ;  no,  it 
could  not  be  he.  He  spoke,  and  I  exclaimed,  "  Is  your  name 
Cheever  ? "  *  It  was  he,  just  returned  from  the  East.  We 
soon  found  out  that  we  both  Avanted  to  go  to  Chamouni,  and  so, 
the  next  morning,  we  started  off  on  foot ;  and  most  delightful 
was  the  weather,  and  most  highly  did  we  enjoy  the  magnificence 
of  this  the  most  glorious  part  of  Europe,  f  I  go  in  and  see  Dr. 
Malan  every  day,  and  discuss  theological  questions  with  him. 
He  has  some  peculiar  views  which  he  is  trying  to  impress  upon 
me,  but  I  am  somewhat  obstinate.  He  is  a  strong  Calvinist,  but 
his  Calvinism  is  in  the  form  of  love  and  not  of  logic.  Among 
other  acquaintances,  one  of  the  pleasantest  that  I  have  made 
here  is  tliat  of  Mr.  Merle  d'Aubigne,  the  author  of  that  History 

*  Kev.  George  B.  Cheever,  D.D. 

f  A  long  and  glowing  account  of  this  trip  must  be  omitted. 


Life  171  Eiu^opc.  57 

of  the  Reformation — as  pleasant  a  man  in  personal  intercourse 
as  in  his  writings. 

To  a  friend : 

Halle,  November  21,  1838  [his  birthday]. 

I  do  begin  to  feel  rather  old.  I  can  recollect  the  time 
when  a  twenty-three-year-older  was  a  great  big  man  to  me ; 
the  little  boy  that  I  then  was  has  become  the  man  (as  people 
say),  by  how  insensible  stages  !  I  don't  know  when  boyhood 
left  me,  or  how,  but  it  is  gone.  Some  things  that  I  had  as  a  boy 
are  still  left  me — that  quenchless  desire  to  h^ioio,  that  love  of 
truth!  And,  through  God's  grace,  I  trust  it  has  received  an- 
other form,  that  I  seek  it  in  another  way,  that  He  has  led  me 
in  Him  and  in  Christ  to  seek  the  truth,  and  there  only ;  that  is 
the  high  destiny  of  man — to  Toiow  the  truth ;  but  woe  to  him 
who  seeks  it  out  of  Christ  and  God,  and  who  has  not  learned  that 
only  he  whose  heart  is  pure  can  know  the  truth.  One  can  learn 
facts  enough  out  of  Christ  and  God,  but  this  is  not  truth  ;  at 
best,  it  is  only  its /orw.  I  cannot  tell  you  Avhat  a  deep  and  in- 
tense longing  I  have  to  knoiu  ;  nor  what  a  deep  and  unwavering 
certainty,  in  the  midst  of  all  doubts  and  fears  and  shortcomings 
I  have,  that  it  is  possible  to  Icnotv,  in  the  fullest  and  highest 
sense  of  the  word.  I  used  to  write  themes  which  Prof.  Newman 
could  not  understand,  and  they  were  not  intelligible  ;  but  I  felt 
at  the  same  time  that  there  was  something  in  them  ;  they  were 
unintelligible  because  I  did  not  understand  my  own  thoughts. 
I  Avas  always  on  the  reach  for  something  more.  I  was  not  con- 
tent to  make  a  mere  truism,  because  I  knew  there  was  something 
better  than  truisms,  and  because  I  did  not  know  what  that  some- 
thing better  was,  I  was  obscure.  When  God  taught  me  to  read 
the  Bible  aright,  then  I  found  in  some  measure  what  that  some- 
thing better  was,  and  I  have  been  able  to  measure  other  things 
by  it,  and  have  not  Avritten  so  obscurely  since.  You  have  read 
Faust.  I  am  just  reading  it  again.  What  a  wonderful  scene 
that  first  one  is  !  There  were  the  intense  desires  for  knowledge, 
misdirected,  yet  in  their  fullest  vigor.  One  feels  a  deep  sympa- 
thy with  such  a  mind.  Do  you  recollect  that  never-to-be-for- 
gotten passage,  '' Wo  fuss  ich  dich,  unendliche  Natur  ?"  etc. 
He  had  not  learned,  nor  had  Goethe,  that  through  a  pure 
heart  alone  can  we    attain    knowledge.      Do   I  then    believe 


58  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

that  one  can  attain  to  perfect  knowledge  in  all  things  in  this 
life?  We  shall  "know  as  we  are  known"  only  beyond  the 
grave ;  but  the  more  training  we  have,  and  the  more  effort  we 
make  in  this  life,  the  more  we  see  the  difficulties,  and  feel  the 
doubts,  and  know  the  incompleteness  of  our  present  knowledge, 
the  better  shall  we  be  prepared  to  receive  the  truth  in  its  fulness 
beyond  the  grave.  This  I  believe,  and  hence  strive.  .  .  . 
A  birthday  is  an  event  in  Germany,  and  so  I  have  kept  this  day 
with  my  friends.  There  was  a  great  cake  in  the  shape  of  an 
S  to  ornament  the  table ;  there  were  presents  from  several  of 
my  friends,  good  cheer  and  smiling  faces ;  so  you  see  I  am 
quite  at  home.  May  God  make  me  grateful  for  all  His  un- 
bounded mercies,  so  rich,  so  free,  so  undeserved. 

The  same  day  he  wrote  : 
My  very  dear  parents  : 

To-day  you  are  thinking  of  and  praying  for  and  talk- 
ing about  me,  and  wishing  I  was  with  you  ;  and  I  too.  I 
have  reviewed  the  whole  of  the  past  year,  with  a  grateful, 
humble,  and  thankful  heart,  rejoicing  in  God's  goodness  and 
boundless  love,  who  has  given  me  so  much  and  given  so  richly. 
How  different  this  anniversary  from  my  last  !  Then  I  was  in 
New  York,  on  the  eve  of  departure,  almost  alone,  no  very  dear 
friends  near  me,  none  with  whom  I  could  celebrate  the  day. 
I  was  sick  and  sad,  going  away,  half  thinking  I  might  never  re- 
turn again,  doubtful  what  would  be  the  issue  of  this  crisis  of  my 
life  ;  full  of  the  anguish  of  separating,  under  such  circum- 
stances, from  those  I  loved.  Now  the  future  is  bright ;  my 
health  is  strong  ;  I  have  no  such  despondency  and  fears  as  I  once 
had,  and  my  melancholy  moods  exist  only  in  remembrance  ;  it 
sometimes  still  makes  me  a  little  sad  to  think  what  dreadful,  rend- 
ing, convulsive  strifes  I  have  been  through.  But  God  has  guided 
me  in  all  ;  and  oh  !  how  clear  the  marks  of  God's  guardianship 
and  love  in  all  !  And  Christ  has  been  with  me  in  many  an  hour 
of  trouble  and  trial  and  fear,  and  always  in  love  and  with  rich 
consolation.  And  I  trust  that  this  day  He  has  enabled  me  to 
come  still  nearer  to  Him,  and  to  confide  myself  to  His  watch  and 
care,  and  to  throw  myself  upon  Him  in  simple  faith,  and  that  in 
the  midst  of  the  temptations  which  surround  me  to  doubt  and 


Life  in  Eiu^ope.  59 

disbelieve,  He  M'ill  always  keep  me  near  to  Himself.  There  are 
great  tem])tatioi)s,  for  rarely  does  one  meet  with  that  simple, 
childlike  faitii,  that  full  reverence  for  the  word  of  God,  and 
simple  belief  in  llis  promises,  which  are  so  much  the  character- 
istic qf  American  piety.  More  blasting  to  piety,  and  fatal  to 
simple  experimental  religion  than  all  the  biblical  criticism  of 
the  Rationalists,  is  the  philosophical  spirit  which  is  now  so  rife 
in  Germany,  and  which,  from  a  higher  point  than  English  infi- 
delity has  ever  taken,  threatens  to  absorb  religion  in  philosophy, 
and  to  raise  philosophy  above  Christianity.  But,  in  the  midst 
of  all,  I  keep  my  heart  and  mind  steadfastly  fixed  npon  Christ ; 
upon  God  manifest  in  the  flesh  ;  let  Him  be  taken  away,  and  all 
is  darkness  ;  but  so  long  as  with  faith  I  can  see  the  Lord,  so  long 
must  religion  be  the  basis  of  my  philosophy  ;  so  long  have  I 
something  to  which,  in  all  my  doubts,  I  can  hold  fast,  and  in  all 
storms  anchor  my  faitli  and  my  hopes. 

To  a  friend: 

November  24th. 

Shall  I  tell  you  how  I  live  here  ?  Take  to-day  as  a  speci- 
men. Got  lip  at  seven,  committed  my  verses,  read  a  psalm 
in  Hebrew  from  eight  to  nine,  heard  a  lecture  on  Psy- 
chology by  Prof.  Erdmann  (one  of  the  best  lecturers  on  philoso- 
phy in  Germany)  ;  nine  to  ten  in  Schleiermacher's  Glaubens- 
lehre ;  ten  to  eleven,  heard  Tholuck  on  Christian  Morals  ;  eleven 
to  twelve,  walked  with  a  student ;  twelve  to  one,  read  some  in 
Schelling ;  one  to  two,  heard  Tholuck  on  Theological  Encyclo- 
paedia ;  two  to  three,  dinner ;  three  to  four,  read  Goethe's  Tor- 
quato  Tasso,  with  the  young  Englishman  (Creak),  who  boards 
here ;  four  to  five,  heard  Ulrici  on  Religiousphilosophie ;  five 
to  six,  a  delightful  walk  with  Prof.  Tholuck ;  six  to  half-past 
seven,  concert  of  sacred  music  of  Bach,  Handel  (from  the  Mes- 
siah), etc.  ;  half-past  seven  to  eight,  went  to  see  a  student ; 
eight  to  nine,  tea  ;  nine  to  ten,  read  Faust  with  Madame  Ulrici, 
who  explained  all  the  hard  places,  and  told  me  the  words  I 
didn't  know — she  is  a  capital  lexicon  ;— and  now  I  am  writing 
to  you  ;  but  some  of  that  music  is  still  running  in  my  head  : 
*'  Ich  weiss  dass  mein  Erloser  lebt,"  is  the  first  line  of  the  ex- 
tract from  the  Messiah ;  and  Bach,  too,  there  is  a  deep,  reli- 


6o  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

gious,  awing  feeling  in  his  music,  which  fits  one  to  read  the 
Bible  and  to  pray.  This  concert  was  given  as  a  preparation  for 
the  Todten  Fest  (which  is  celebrated  in  Prussia  alone),  a  day  to 
think  on  the  dead,  and  Prof.  Tholuck  is  to  preach.  I  love  to 
hear  him  preach  ;  his  deep,  solemn  voice  ;  his  pale,  earnest 
countenance ;  his  animated  yet  not  gesticulating  manner ;  his 
rich,  beautiful  thoughts  ;  that  union  of  fervent  faith  with  a 
philosophical  comprehension  of  the  truths  of  Christianity,  all  fit 
him  admirably  to  be  the  preacher  to  the  students.  He  has  a 
very  great  sway  over  his  audience.  I  have  seen  them  almost  all 
melted  to  tears  ;  I  have  seen  many  looking  up  to  him  with  pale 
faces  as  he  declared  the  word  of  God,  "Ob  es  Menschen 
gefallen,  ob  es  Menschen  misfallen,"  as  he  himself  said.  I  am 
still  very  well ;  am  making  more  and  more  acquaintances  among 
professors  and  students,  and  good  people  at  large,  and  think  I 
shall  spend  the  winter  very  profitably. 

At  the  close  of  the  year,  after  enjoying  the  family 
festivities  among  his  friends  in  Halle,  he  spent  a  few 
days,  full  of  interest,  in  Wittenberg,  and  then  finished 
the  vacation  in  Berlin.  The  letters  which  he  brought 
from  Professors  Tholuck  and  UMci  ensured  for  him  in 
Berlin  a  cordial  welcome  from  Neander,  Hengstenberg, 
Twesten,  Baron  von  Kottwitz  and  others.  A  long  letter 
to  his  parents,  from  which  the  foUomng  extracts  are 
made,  details  the  events  of  this  visit. 

Sunday  I  heard  two  of  the  most  famous  preachers  in  Berlin, 
Hossbach  and  Theremin.  The  former  is  now  old,  and  some- 
whatportly  and  heavy,  and  his  sermon  was  too  moralizing.  The 
latter  is  court  preacher,  also  large  and  full  in  person,  but  he  is 
fearless  in  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel.  Tholuck  dedicated 
to  him  the  recent  volume  of  his  sermons,  as  a  preacher  "  who 
preached  without  the  fear  of  man  or  regard  to  his  favor."  His 
style  is  very  beautiful,  perfectly  polished,  and  well  it  can  be  so, 
for  he  preaches  only  once  a  month.  His  subject  was  "Christ, 
the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever,"  in  contrast  with  the 
mutability  of  earthly  things  ;  and  admirably  did  he  develop  this 


Life  in  Europe.  6 1 

great  thought,  and  kept  an  audience  of  fashionables  and  court 
people  intensely  interested.  His  voice  is  not  good,  rather  fine 
and  sharp,  but  his  animated  manner  conquers  the  defects  of  his 
voice.  .  .  .  And  so  I  come  to  Ncav  Year's  day — no,  not 
yet,  I  haven't  told  you  what  I  did  Monday,  and  I  have  almost 
forgotten  myself  what  I  did.  I  made  several  calls,  and  wrote 
some  and  studied  some  ;  went  to  see  Dr.  Eobinson  and  his  wife, 
the  latter  quite  an  extraordinary  woman,  and  Baron  Kottwitz, 
a  great  friend  of  Tholuck,  and  at  one  period  of  his  life  a  father 
to  him,  now  very  old,  and  a  sincere,  deep,  fervent  Christian. 
Went  with  Thompson,*  an  American  student  who  is  here,  to  see 
the  Christmas  exhibitions,  and  so  the  day  passed. 

JarCy  1,  1839.  I  missed  the  "Happy  new  3^ear's,"  which  at 
home  it  is  so  pleasant  to  hear  on  all  sides.  I  had  two  invitations 
to  dinner  :  from  Neander  and  Mr.  Wheaton,  but  the  first  came 
first  and  so,  etc.  Heard  a  sermon  in  the  morning  from  Ehren- 
berg,  Avhom  Neander  says  he  likes  best  of  any  of  the  preachers, 
but  none  of  the  Berlin  preachers  whom  I  have  heard  is  so  good 
as  Tholuck.  At  two  o'clock  to  Neander's,  where  was  quite  a 
company  already  assembled  :  Dr.  Eobinson  and  his  wife,  Mr, 
Thompson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Salisbury,  Prof.  Twesten,  author  of  a 
famous  dogmatical  work,  and  several  of  Neander's  relatives, 
most  of  whom  spoke  English.  N.,  in  his  long  boots  and  his 
buttoned-up  frock  coat,  and  his  sister,  who  keeps  house  for  him, 
unmarried  both,  received  us  with  a  great  deal  of  politeness.  The 
dinner  lasted  four  hours,  and  then  I  went  home  in  a  rain-storm, 
to  finish  the  evening  in  reading  and  writing. 

Jmi'y  3d.  In  the  forenoon  to  the  police  to  get  a  permission 
of  residence — then  to  the  museum  of  Egyptian  antiquities. 
Dined  with  the  Baron  Kottwitz — he  first  led  Tholuck  to  the 
Saviour,  and  Tholuck  dwells  upon  the  part  of  his  life  which  he 
spent  with  him,  with  affection  and  enthusiasm.  K.  is  a  very 
venerable  old  man,  full  of  love  and  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel. 
In  the  midst  of  all  the  rationalism  and  scepticism  of  Germany, 
his  simple  faith  has  remained  unshaken.  It  is  inspiring  to  be 
with  such  a  man,  Tholuck  was  very  sick  at  the  time  that  he 
was  with  him,  and  thought  that  he  should  die  ;  and  the  baron 

*Rev.  Augustus  C.  Thompson,  D.D.,  of  Roxbury. 


62  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

cared  for  him  like  a  father,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  sickness  led 
him  to  Jesus.  "  The  thought  of  salvation  through  Christ," 
Tholuck  said  to  me,  "  was  at  that  time  a  strange  one  to  him  ;  it 
was  poetical,  this  was  his  first  thought ;  it  was  beautiful ;  at  last 
he  recognized  it  as  divine  ;  and  his  soul,  torn  by  the  struggles  of 
philosophy,  found  peace  in  Jesus.  One  evening,"  continued 
Tholuck,  "  I  was  sitting  in  my  arm-chair,  very  weak,  watching 
the  going  down  of  the  sun,  thinking  it  might  be  for  the  last 
time,  and  my  full  heart  poured  itself  out  in  prayer  to  Christ  ; 
unconsciously  I  prayed  aloud.  Suddenly  I  looked  up,  and  there 
was  .the  baron  bending  over  my  chair,  his  eyes  full  of  tears,  and 
a  smile  upon  his  face  ;  it  was  one  of  the  sweetest  moments  of 
my  life."  .  .  .  Took  tea  with  Mr.  Geiss,  a  pleasant  company  (his 
father  was  the  most  celebrated  maker  of  the  iron  jewelry,  for 
which  Berlin  is  so  famous),  a  very  sensible  man  who  wanted  to 
hear  about  America,  and  told  me  very  much  about  the  Prussian 
government,  and  the  system  of  the  poor-laws.  He  is  one  of  the 
directors  for  the  poor,  and  the  system  is  an  admirable  one. 

Jan'y  4th.  Called  on  a  Kissingen  acquaintance,  Reimer,  one 
of  the  most  celebrated  booksellers  of  Berlin,  who  has  oeen  the 
publisher  and  friend  of  some  of  the  most  celebrated  men  of  Ger- 
many. He  lives  in  a  palace — has  a  gallery  of  more  than  two 
thousand  pictures,  some  very  admirable  ones  ;  went  with  his  son  to 
see  the  royal  gallery  of  pictures.  After  dinner  went  with  Thomp- 
son and  another  American  student  to  Charlottenburg,  to  see  the 
castle  and  the  famous  statue  of  Queen  Louisa.  So  you  see  I  have 
considerable  to  do  and  see  in  Berlin,  though  I  do  wish  I  was  at 
home.     ...     I  can't  get  that  statue  out  of  my  head. 

Jan^y  5th.  Went  in  the  morning  with  Mr.  Geiss— you  see 
how  good  a  friend  he  is  to  me — to  see  the  Institute  for  the 
coarser  arts  and  trades,  very  interesting ;  and,  after  that,  to  the 
ateliers  of  some  of  the  most  celebrated  sculptors  in  Berlin,  with 
whom  he  is  intimately  acquainted.  Dined  with  Eeimer  in  his 
palace,  in  a  room  covered  with  royal  tapestry,  after  a  cartoon  of 
Teniers. 

.  Jan'y  6th.  Sunday  again — would  that  I  could  spend  a  Sun- 
day at  home,  it  would  do  my  heart  good  ;  the  contrast  is  so  great 
to  the  quiet  Sabbath  of  a  New  England  village.  Spent  an  hour 
with  Prof.  Hengstenberg,  talking  of  the  religious  prospects  of 


Life  i7i  Europe.  63 

Germany,  and  especially  of  the  influence  of  philosophy  upon  its 
present  state — an  exceedingly  interesting  conversation.  Took 
tea  and  spent  the  evening  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Robinson,  very 
pleasant  indeed. 

Jaii'y  7th.  Spent  the  evening  delightfully  with  a  relative  of 
Mrs.  Tholuck,  the  wife  of  a  philosopher  whose  Avorks  have  pro- 
duced a  sensation  in  Germany  which  is  most  astonishing — Hegel. 
He  died  in  1834.  She  found  that  I  was  interested  in  him  and 
showed  me  many  relics.  The  great  question  now  in  Germany 
is  :  Is  the  philosophy-  of  Hegel  a  Christian  philosojihy  ?  She 
spoke  of  him  as  a  Christian,  said  that  in  him  was  no  contradic- 
tion or  strife  between  his  philosophy  and  his  faith,  that  he  led 
her  from  rationalism  to  embrace  the  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
and  showed  me  some  verses  written  by  him  expressive  of  most 
jdIous  confidence  in  Christ. 

Jan^y  8th.  Heard  Hengstenberg.  He  speaks  with  an  awful 
whine,  sits  up  straight,  never  takes  his  eyes  off  his  MS.  His  lec- 
ture was  very  acute,  a  reply  to  the  objections  brought  against  the 
Pentateuch.  In  such  replies  he  is  powerful ;  there  is  his  chief 
strength.  Then  a  lecture  by  von  Savigny,  the  most  distinguished 
jurist  in  Germany,  to  five  hundred  students  of  law.  Went  with 
Eeimer  to  see  the  rooms  in  the  palace  where  all  curious  carved 
things  in  the  arts  are  to  be  found,  in  ivory  and  wood,  glass  from 
Venice  of  an  art  now  lost ;  relics  of  all  the  sovereigns, — in  short, 
all  that  is  curious  and  valuable  ;  all  that  was  made  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  gratify  curiosity  or  exhibit  skill ;  scepters, 
swords  and  diadems,  arrows,  canes,  clubs  and  canoes,  models  of 
houses,  churches,  palaces  and  ships,  gods  and  demigods  and 
Asiatic  houses,  kings,  electors  and  their  wives,  pictures  in  enamel 
and  glass,  precious  stones  and  curious  stones,  etc.,  etc.  And  in 
the  afternoon  I  heard  the  most  celebrated  geographer  of  Europe 
lecture,  Eitter — and  he  made  a  lecture  on  geography  even  inter- 
esting. 

Halle,  Jan'y  12th.  The  ninth  was  spent  in  Berlin  in  making 
calls,  bidding  farewell,  etc., — saw  most  of  my  friends  once  more 
— arrived  here  yesterday  morning  at  seven,  found  my  room  all 
warm  and  coffee  all  ready  for  me,  and  a  warm  reception,  and 
what  was  equally  good,  a  bundle  of  letters. 


64  Hen7y  Boynton  Smith. 

Halle,  February  14,  1839. 

As  to  a  library,  father,  I  entreat  you,  do  not  embarrass  your- 
self at  all  for  me  on  that  account.  I  have  been  too  pressing 
on  that  score,  have  exaggerated  its  necessity  and  usefulness. 
Until  I  definitely  know  what  my  situation  in  life  is  to  be,  I  can- 
not choose  a  library  to  the  best  advantage.  So  I  will  purchase 
a  few  books,  if  you  will  let  me,  and  for  the  rest  trust  to  the 

future.     Still,  if  Mr.  should  find  that  he  would  let  me 

have  the  money  conveniently  in  the  summer,  I  would  not  refuse 
it,  because  I  could  buy  here  at  half  the  expense  for  which  I  could 
get  the  books  at  home.  Still,  there  will  be  other  opportunities  ; 
some  of  my  friends  will  in  future  years  be  coming  to  Germany, 
and  then  I  can  get  the  books  at  a  good  rate.  Don't  you  think 
that,  upon  the  whole,  I  am  a  tolerably  reasonable  young  man  ? 
As  to  publishing  my  letters — no  indeed  ;  if  you  should,  I  am  sure 
I  should  not  write  you  any  more,  except  such  as  you  would  be 
perfectly  ashamed  even  to  read  aloud  before  folks ;  letters 
scratched  off  in  such  a  hurry  as  mine  are  meant  for  none  but 
partial  eyes  ;  there  is  enough  bad  stuff  in  the  world,  without 
adding  anything  to  it.  And  then,  too,  if  anything  of  mine  is 
published,  it  is,  of  course,  my  business  ;  my  reputation  goes  with 
it.  I  should  only  have  been  surprised  and  grieved,  if  anything 
so  written  should  have  got  even  into  the  column  of  items  in  a 
newspaper. 

In  April  he  removed  from  Halle  to  Berlin  where  he 
spent  the  next  year. 

To  Ms  parents : 

Berlin,  April  30,  1839. 

.  .  .  I  became  yery  much  attached  to  Halle.  I  had  so 
many  friends  there  who  had  treated  me  so  very  kindly.  Who 
and  what  they  all  were  I  cannot  now  tell  you,  but  I  will  next 
October  when  I  am  at  home,  where  I  do  so  long  to  be.  For  the 
last  eight  evenings  I  was  constantly  among  my  friends,  to  some 
dinners  also.  One  evening  I  had  a  company  of  students  and 
friends  in  my  own  room.  I  have  some  very  valuable  acquaint- 
ance, and  some  real  friends  among  them.  Last  Sunday  even- 
ing I  saw  Tholuck,  pr6bably,  for  the  last  time.     Deeply  did  I 


Life  in  Ew'Ope.  65 

feel  parting  from  liim  who  has  been  so  T^y  kind  to  me.  In  every 
respect  I  am  greatly  his  debtor,  as  teacher,  as  advisor,  as  friend  ; 
and  I  know  he  loves  me,  and  therefore  I  am  not  ashamed  to  tell 
you  so.  He  had  been  in  Berlin,  and  told  me  he  had  prepared  my 
way  before  me  here  among  his  friends.  Prof.  Ulrici  and  his 
wife  too,  were  so  kind,  and  parted  from  me  with  so  much  affec- 
tion. Then  Prof.  Leo,  the  frank,  the  open-hearted,  the  fearless, 
the  famous  historian,  the  real  German,  the  devoted  Christian, 
almost  the  only  Calvinist  in  Halle  ;  Prof.  Witte,  "the  wonderful 
child,"  one  of  the  most  accomplished  gentlemen  lever  knew; 
Dr.  Gutike  and  his  lovely  family ;  Besser,  the  amanuensis  of 
Tholuck,  of  great  memory,  great  readiness,  unquenchable  faith, 
has  written  a  volume  of  poems,  and  makes  everybody  enthusi- 
astic. Kahnis  who  will  become  professor  here,  the  most  ^^rom- 
ising  young  man  in  Halle — great  talents,  a  thorough  philosopher 
and  a  thorough  Christian — in  art,  theology  and  philosophy 
learned,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  young  men  I  ever  knew ; 
long,  long  shall  I  remember  the  walks  we  had  together,  and 
the  long  talks  about  theological  and  philosophical  subjects.  We 
went  through  all  the  prominent  questions — he  is  my  best  friend 
among  the  young  men.  And  so  I  might  go  on  and  add  many 
more,  but  this  is  enough  ;  and  now  you  know  why  it  was  hard  to 
get  away  from  Halle. 

My  reception  by  my  friends  here  has  been  the  kindest  I 
think  I  shall  be  happy  here.  .  .  .  Neander  and  Hengstenberg 
are  very  cordial.  My  lectures  are  8-9,  Logic,  with  Gabler,  five 
times  a  week  ;  9-10,  Jewish  History,  Hengstenberg,  five  times ; 
10-11,  Job,  Hengstenberg,  five  times ;  11-12,  Neander,  Acts,  six 
times ;  12-1,  History  of  Christian  Doctrines,  Neander,  three 
times  a  week  ;  4-5,  Criticism  of  Hegelian  Philosophy  with 
Trendelenburg,  four  times  ;  a  lecture  on  John,  twice  a  week  ; 
Homiletics,  once  ;  History  of  German  Philosophy,  twice  a  week  ; 
Twesten,  Introduction  to  Christian  Morals,  once  a  week,  and 
one  or  two  others  ;  one  in  Goethe  and  Schiller,  twice  a  week.  So 
you  see  my  time  is  likely  to  be  full,  and  I  have  determined  also 
to  take  exercise  regularly.  Our  meals  are  from  two  to  three  in 
the  afternoon,  half-past  six  in  the  morning,  and  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  but  our  evenings  will  often  be  interi-upted  by  visits 
and  visiting. 

5 


66  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Two  or  three  evenings  ago  I  went  to  hear  an  Oratorio  of  Hay- 
den,  The  Four  Seasons — the  words  composed  after  Thompson. 
It  does  me  good  to  hear  such  music  as  this,  for  though  I  cannot 
criticise  it,  I  can  feel  it.  I  was  lately  in  Leipsic  and  saw  there 
the  missionary  Mr.  [Eli]  Smith,  and  had  some  delightful  hours 
of  talk  and  conversation.  It  rejoices  one's  heart  beyond  measure, 
thus,  in  a  strange  land,  to  meet  a  countryman  who  can  enter 
into  all  his  religious  views,  feelings,  and  associations.  He  has 
been  preparing  a  font  of  Arabic  types  in  Leipsic,  those  in  use 
being  found  to  be  very  unsatisfactory.  Dr.  Eobinson  I  have 
seen  several  times  here.  He  is  now  busy  preparing  his  book  on 
Palestine  ;  will  publish  it  in  Germany,  in  England  and  in  Amer- 
ica at  the  same  time.  The  theologians  here  are  very  much  inter- 
ested in  it.  It  will  be  the  only  accurate  account  which  has  been 
given  of  Palestine.  In  traveling  through  the  country,  he  and 
Mr.  Smith  used  the  Bible  as  their  guide-book,  and  found  it  bet- 
ter than  all  others,  and  throughout  correct. 

Berlin,  May  15,  1839. 

My  Deae  Cousins,  Me.  and  Mes.  S.  [Horatio  Southgate] : . . . 
Come  to  the  lecture-room  with  me.  About  four  hundred  stu- 
dents are  there.  I  go  to  my  fixed  place,  No.  61  ;  like  all  the  rest 
of  them,  keej)  my  hat  on,  take  out  my  writing  materials,  stick  my 
inkhorn  into  the  desk,  mend  my  pens,  look  over  the  last  lecture. 
Suddenly  there  is  a  hissing  heard.  All  take  off  their  caps  and 
hats,  except  perhaps  two  or  three  who  have  them  in  the  last 
fashion.  A  little  short  man,  in  a  frock  coat,  "all  buttoned  down 
before,"  like  old  Grimes's,  comes  in  and  walks  very  quickly  to 
the  desk,  which  has  been  raised  up  for  him.  He  has  long  Cath- 
olic (such  as  the  Catholic  priests  wear)  boots,  has  a  very  dark 
complexion,  large,  unprepossessing  features,  large  mouth,  a  little 
one-sided — very  shaggy  eyebrows,  eyes  deep  set,  coal  black,  and 
almost  always  so  closed  that  you  can  hardly  see  them — now  and 
then  they  open  with  a  flash — coal-black,  shaggy,  tumbled  hair 
all  over  his  forehead,  holds  his  head  generally  one-sided,  slightly 
cocked  up,  but  a  most  benevolent  expression  to  the  whole  counte- 
nance, it  is  half  smiling  all  the  time,  and  the  smile  looks  so 
strange,  and  yet  attractive  in  contrast  with  the  features  :  the  face 
is  decidedly  Jewish.     The  hissing  ceases,  he  rises,  stretches  both 


Life  in  Europe.  67 

arms  on  the  desk,  seizes  a  quill  which  is  laid  there  every  day  for 
him,  bends  his  head  down  close  to  his  papers,  and  begins  to 
speak  and  to  tear  the  quill  to  pieces.  No  sound  can  be  heard  in 
the  whole  room,  except  that  of  the  pens  upon  the  paper  and  his 
voice,  and  here  are  four  hundred  all  writing  down  the  words 
which  this  man  sjaeaks  to  them  ;  or,  perhaps,  some  student,  who 
is  desirous  of  saving  his  coat,  has  forgotten  to  pull  on  the  little 
false  cuffs  they  have  made  for  the  purpose,  and  he  is  in  a  great 
hurry  to  do  it,  but  he  loses  something  of  the  lecture.  The  voice 
of  the  lecturer  is  strong  and  clear.  It  is  exegesis — the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  He  is  speaking  of  the  gift  of  tongues,  and,  as  he  goes 
on,  you  feel  that  you  are  in  the  presence  of  a  man  who  is  not 
only  deeply  learned  in  the  whole  history  and  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Christian  church,  who  has  not  only  studied  all  of  the  early 
ages  of  Christianity  which  is  to  be  studied,  but  of  one  in  whom 
the  great  truths  of  our  holy  faith  are  living  sources,  one  whose 
whole  mind  and  heart  have  been  built  up  in  the  knowledge  and 
love  of  the  Saviour.  With  masterly  power  he  exhibits  all  the 
difficulties  of  the  subject,  all  the  contradictions  and  apparent 
inconsistencies  are  brought  forward  so  clearly  that  you  almost 
tremble  ;  all  that  the  tradition  of  the  early  church  says  about  it, 
all  that  the  theorists  and  expositors  of  later  times  have  said  are 
brought  together,  and  then  comes  the  solution  of  the  problem  ; 
and  there  he  rests  not  in  the  fact  as  a  mere  outward  miracle,  he 
goes  to  the  Old  Testament  and  shows  how  it  is  there  prophesied, 
he  comes  to  Christ  and  tells  how  he  foretold  it ;  and  the  height 
and  depth  of  the  Christian  experience  ;  the  nature  of  the  Chris- 
tian life  and  faith  ;  he  shows  how  such  a  miracle  was  necessary  ; 
its  connection  with  the  whole  system  of  truth,  that  it  is  all  an 
essential  part  of  the  organism  of  the  Christian  church.  The 
man  is  Neander,  the  excellent,  the  learned  Neander,  the  father 
of  a  new  era  in  Ghurch  history,  the  best  exegetical  lecturer  in 
Germany,  who  has  more  auditors  than  any  other  theologian  in 
the  whole  land.  Perhaps  he  makes  a  mistake,  he  stops,  utters 
one  or  two  inarticulate  cries,  spits  two  or  three  times,  and  then 
corrects  himself  after  much  stammering.  Perhaps  he  sjjeaks  a 
name  which  the  students  do  not  understand.  Then  there  is  a 
general  scraping,  and  he  bellows  out  the  name,  perhaps  he  spells 
it  out  for  them.     The  lecture  is  over,  he  runs  out  as  he  came 


68  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

in,  without  seeing  anybody.     I  always  wonder  how  he  finds  his 
way. 

Will  you  go  with  me  to  my  next  lecture  ?  The  room  is  smaller, 
about  a  hundred  and  fifty  students.  The  professor  comes  in, 
looks  around  to  see  how  many  are  there,  and  then  goes,  very 
one-sided,  to  his  seat.  Tall,  rather  thin,  his  shirt  worn  always 
very  white,  and  he  wears  a  white  cravat.  The  face  has  a  very 
sinister  expression,  the  mouth  slightly  awry,  the  eyes  ill-formed, 
he  looks  suspicious,  as  if  he  were  half  afraid  of  somebody,  never 
looks  his  auditors  in  the  face.  He  is  quite  young,  perhaps  thirty- 
five  ;  his  voice  is  weak  and  sharp,  goes  often  into  a  falsetto 
whine — quite  a  cadence  to  it.  His  subject  is  the  History  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  in  the  Old  Testament.  He  attacks  somebody's 
opinion— this  is  his  forte — he  is  a  master  there  ;  analyzes  it 
thoroughly,  makes  often  a  bitter  remark  or  a  tremendous  sar- 
casm ;  he  brings  a  rich  store  of  learning  in  all  the  Oriental  lan- 
guages to  aid  him,  and,  more  than  all,  one  sees  that  into  the 
history  of  the  Old  Covenant  he  has  penetrated  deeply  ;  that  he 
knows  its  whole  spirit,  that  the  conviction  of  its  divine  origin  is 
one  of  the  highest  truths  for  him  ;  and  this,  too,  one  sees,  that  in 
his  vindication  of  it  he  feels  himself  to  be  almost  alone  in  the 
whole  land  ;  but  does  he  waver  ?  not  a  hair.  His  firmness  and 
self-reliance,  and  his  reliance  upon  the  power  of  truth  are  most 
unconquerable  ;  he  stands  almost  alone,  but  he  is  perfectly  fear- 
less. The  learned  he  attacks,  but  with  equal  learning  ;  the 
j)hilosophy  of  the  times  he  attacks  for  its  presumption  and  bold- 
ness. One  is  astonished  at  the  decision  with  which  every  word 
he  speaks  is  expressed  ;  at  the  daring  with  which  he  aims  his 
blows  against  all  which  in  these  times  in  Germany  is  the  fash- 
ion in  the  scientific  world.  He  gives  no  quarter,  he  admits 
no  middle  way;  but  his  firmness  is  not  pride,  it  is  deep,  in- 
effaceable conviction  ;  a  conviction  that  he  is  fighting  for  the 
holiest  and  best.  When  he  is  peculiarly  sarcastic,  and  has  his 
voice  in  its  highest  falsetto,  he  turns  his  head  leisurely,  almost 
all  the  way  round  to  the  wall  back  of  him.  His  wit  is  so  bit- 
ing, you  cannot  laugh  at  it ;  there  is  too  much  truth  in  it. 
Every  plan  of  an  opponent  he  detects  and  lays  bare  with  a  mas- 
terly hand,  and  developes  his  answers  with  the  most  perfect  de- 
cision.    There  is  never  anything  like  passion  in  what  he  says, 


Life  ill  Eiu^ope.  69 

never  anything  which  would  lead  one  to  attribute  a  personal 
motive  to  him. 

You  have  already  conjectured :  this  is  Hengstenberg,  the 
iron  man,  everywhere  spoken  against  and  reviled,  yet  feared  too. 
The  journal  which  he  edits  is  often  harsh,  but  always  firm  ; 
more  than  any  other  man  in  Germany  he  is  like  one  of  the  pro- 
phets of  the  Old  Testament,  warning,  rebuking,  threatening  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord ;  accused  of  all  sorts  of  base  motives,  yet 
ever  unwavering.  He  is  striving  with  his  whole  might  to  stem 
the  encroachments,  and  to  repel  the  pretensions  of  philosophy  in 
Germany  ;  he  is  striving  to  save  the  Old  Testament  for  Germany 
as  a  book  of  divine  authority,  and  his  cause  wins  ground.  Though 
among  the  professors  he  has  few  adherents,  among  the  clergy  he 
has  very  many,  and  his  lectures  are  more  and  more  frequented 
every  year. 

To  his  parents : 

Berlin,  .June  12,  1839. 

Neander  and  Hengstenberg  I  see  occasionally.  Hengsten- 
berg  is  the  object  of  unceasing  and  bitter  attacks,  but  he  is 
as  brave  as  a  lion  and  fears  nobody.  Lately  two  books  have 
been  published  against  him,  most  bitter.  Neander  makes  love 
to  almost  every  party,  except  that  of  Hengstenberg,  and  of 
Strauss,  the  author  of  that  terrible  "  Life  of  Jesus,"  and  the 
German  philosophy,  which  he  cannot  endure.  Then  I  have 
a  great  lot  of  other  acquaintances,  of  all  sorts  and  orders.  .  .  . 
I  can't  tell  you  of  all,  except  that  dear  heavenly  man.  Baron 
Kottwitz,  of  whom  I  have  written  to  you — the  most  heavenly- 
minded  old  man  I  ever  knew.  All  is  so  peaceful  and  full  of 
Christ  in  his  heart.  I  wish  my  heart  were  like  his  !  I  went  the 
other  day  with  a  young  friend,  a  Eussian,  to  see  him,  and  this 
young  man,  warm,  ardent,  enthusiastic,  when  he  came  out, 
could  not  speak,  he  was  so  affected  by  the  sight  of  this  venera- 
ble man. 

To  a  friend  [tvritten  in  German']  : 

Berlin,  June  30,  1839. 

I  dined  with  Mrs.  Hegel  to-day.  She  is  a  very  lovely  lady, 
very  active  in  all  benevolent  works,  and  she  has  been  very,  very 


7o'  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

kind  to  me,  partly  for  Tholuck's  sake,  partly  because  she  sees 
in  me  a  striking  resemblance  to  lier  oldest  son,  now  in  Flor- 
ence. She  spoke  of  her  husband  with  so  much  deep  affection  and 
reverence,  and  with  such  tender  recollections,  that  it  was  very 
touching.  She  told  me  of  his  struggles,  for  many  years,  with 
poverty  and  various  adverse  circumstances,  and  of  his  hajDpiness, 
at  last,  in  being  acknowledged  the  greatest  of  German  philoso- 
phers. For  many  years  he  was  only  the  rector  of  a  gymnasium 
in  Nuremberg.  There  he  lived,  almost  alone  ;  had  no  inter- 
course with  learned  men,  and  withdrew  into  himself  ;  and  from 
the  depths  of  his  own  mind  he  developed  his  powerful  system — 
which,  considered  barely  as  a  system  of  iihilosophy,  is  confess- 
edly the  greatest,  the  completest,  the  most  thorough  which  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  She  showed  me  his  handwriting,  and  his 
youthful  productions.  It  is  remarkable  that,  when  a  student  in 
the  gymnasium,  he  stood  lowest  in  the  philosophical  class.  He 
wrote  his  chief  work,  his  Logic,  partly  while  she  was  sick.  So 
straitened  were  their  circumstances  that  he  was  her  only 
nurse.  He  wrote  by  her  bedside,  giving  her  medicine  every  fif- 
teen minutes.  Through  such  obstacles  he  fought  his  way,  and 
thus  he  won  the  most  brilliant  name,  thus  he  drew  to  himself 
the  most  friends,  and  raised  against  himself  the  most  enemies  of 
any  of  the  German  philosophers. 

A  few  days  since  I  heard  Eanke ;  perhaps  the  most  distin- 
guished of  German  historians.  His  lecture  was  on  the  history 
of  the  Keformation.  He  spoke  of  Calvin  ;  he  is  no  worshiper  of 
the  Calvinistic  doctrines,  but  he  acknowledged  the  greatness  of 
the  man  ;  told  how,  in  early  youth,  with  almost  rough  earnest- 
ness, he  announced  his  doctrine  in  Paris ;  how  he  shaped  Geneva 
after  his  own  spirit ;  how  he  was  the  head,  if  not  the  father,  of 
the  Keformation  in  France  and  Switzerland  ;  how  his  doctrine 
became  that  of  the  whole  Presbyterian  Church,  and  ruled  in 
the  Netherlands;  *'and  finally,"  said  he,  ''we  may  consider 
Calvin  as  the  founder  of  the  Free  States  of  North  America.  It 
was  his  doctrine  which  shaped  the  men,  who  left  home  and 
country  in  order  to  preserve  their  religious  freedom  in  the  wilds 
of  America." 

Eanke's  mind  is  peculiar — sharp,  quick,  incisive.  His  periods 
come,  stroke  upon  stroke.     He  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  every- 


Life  in  Etcropc.  71 

thing  that  he  relates.  He  is  deeply  penetrated  wifcli  Christian 
truth.  He  is  a  short,  stout  man,  with  a  full  face ;  stretches 
himself  out  as  he  roads ;  and  he  speaks  either  very  slowly, 
drawling  out  his  words,  or  else  very  fast  and  excitedly,  almost 
unintelligibly.  While  hearing  him  lecture,  or  reading  his  books, 
one  might  think  him  disconnected  and  rambling,  but  with  a 
stroke,  a  word,  he  brings  it  all  together,  and  into  connection 
with  the  great  questions  of  truth  and  of  life. 

*MYhat  is  the  opposite  of  a  locomotive  ? — A  lieutenant,"  is  a 
good,  new  Berlin  witticism  ;  and,  from  the  crown  prince  down, 
everybody  in  Berlin  is  making  witticisms.  Speaking  of  witti- 
cisms, Kant  hag  a  capital  one  in  his  Esthetics :  "  There  are 
certain  phrases,"  he  says,  "in  which  every  word  contains  a  lie  ; 
e.  g.,  (das  heilige,  riimische  Eeich)  ;  it  is  not  heilige,  it  is  not 
romisch,  it  is  not  reich."  One  morning  I  was  at  Hengsten- 
herg's.  His  wife  is  of  high  birth  and  has  a  noble  countenance  ; 
he  has  rather  a  sheepish  look,  quite  the  reverse  of  his  character. 
He  spoke  of  the  attacks  upon  himself,  particularly  of  a  book 
just  published,  by  a  private  teacher  in  the  university  :  "I  would 
rather  have  him  write  twenty  such  books  against  me  than  have 
to  write  one  against  him  ;  he  is  so  obscure,  as  dark  as  a  cloud." 
Hengstenberg  is  often  bitter,  sarcastic,  sometimes  scathing.  No 
German  theologian  has  so  many  enemies,  so  few  followers ;  for 
none  have  I  more  respect.     .    .    . 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  another  famous  German  woman,  Eahel  ? 
A  very  remarkable  woman  ;  a  Jewess,  but  baptized.  She  ought 
to  have  been  a  man,  and  then  she  would  have  been  prime-minis- 
ter. She  wrote  letters  which,  for  clear  perception  and  insight, 
especially  in  political  matters,  are  almost  as  unprecedented  as 
Bettina's  are  for  sentiment  and  imagination.  She  has  not  the 
fantasy  of  Bettina ;  does  not  go,  like  her,  into  little  details ; 
she  has  no  wings,  but  a  keen  mind,  a  clear  judgment,  a  trench- 
ant wit.  She  is  intellectual  and  incisive ;  enthusiastic,  but 
only  for  the  actual ;  she  loved  truth,  bare,  abstract  truth,  more 
than  she  loved  her  husband.  She  was  too  proud,  too  cold,  too 
reasoning  for  a  woman  ;  but  she  was  a  glorious  woman.  They 
are  the  twin  stars  of  German  literature.  The  lack  in  each  was 
that  she  was  not  the  other  ;  and  the  lack  in  both  was  that  they 
were  strangers  to  the  Christian  faith. 


72  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Have  I  written  you  of  old  Baron  Kottwitz,  the  ''spiritual 
father "  of  Tholuck  ?  The  best  instruction  which  I  have  in 
Berlin  is  my  almost  weekly  visit  to  him.  Tliat  glorious  old 
man,  with  that  spiritual  face,  that  clear  voice  speaking  with 
childlike  love  and  earnest  faith  of  his  Lord  and  Saviour  !  I  can 
never  forget  it.  *'  I  am  old  and  feeble,"  he  said,  the  last  time  I 
was  there ;  "I  suffer  a  good  deal  of  pain,  but  I  do  not  feel  it 
when  my  friends  are  here  in  the  evenings  ;  so  come  and  see  me 
very  often."  "  I  am  now  eighty-three  years  old,"  he  said.  "  God 
has  made  me  a  present  of  three  years,  for  the  Bible  says  :  '  The 
days  of  one's  years  are  three  score  and  ten,'  etc.;  and  so  I  must 
constantly  be  expecting  the  messenger  to  tell  me  that  my  time 
has  come."  Another  time  he  said  in  such  a  childlike,  genuine 
way :  "  The  king  called  me  to  his  council  in  such  a  matter,  I  was 
ashamed  at  his  showing  me  such  honor."  I  reverence  this  old 
man,  so  venerable,  so  simple,  so  firm  in  his  faith,  so  kind  in  his 
judgments,  caring  only  for  the  honor  of  God.  He  has  conse- 
crated all  his  life  and  possessions  to  Christ,  and  he  receives  back 
a  hundred  fold  in  his  heart,  through  rich  grace. 


To  Ids  parents : 

Berlin,  July  27,  1839. 

I  can  now  give  you  the  joyful  information  that  I  received  that 
great  package  of  letters  by  Prentiss,  who  arrived  this  morning. 
And  how  eagerly  I  read  them  all — motlier's,  father's,  Corne's, 
Horatio's,  and  then  several  from  other  friends,  and  for  an  hour 
,1  was  amongst  you  all  again  at  home,  romping  with  Corne,  or 
talking  on  an  ever  so  long  stretch  to  father  and  mother,  and 
paying  Horatio's  jokes  back  in  his  own  coin.  .  .  .  And 
now  I  can  almost  count  the  days  which  intervene  ere  I  leave 
Berlin,  and,  while  I  part  from  Germany  with  more  regret  than 
I  ever  expected  to  feel  for  another  land  than  my  own,  yet  I  come 
to  America  with  more  gladness  and  joy  than  I  ever  had  when  I 
was  in  it  before.  And  soon  I  sliall  see  you  all  again,  and  the 
thought  makes  my  heart  bound.  And  though  in  this  land  I 
have  received  the  most  important  impulse  of  my  life,  in  an  in- 
tellectual point  of  view,  yet  all  that  I  have  become — all  my 
thoughts,  wishes  and  plans  have  reference  only  to  my  activity 


Life  in  Europe.  73 

in  my  own  beloved  country,  which  I  believe,  more  firmly  than 
ever,  to  be  blessed  with  higher  privileges,  and  preparing  for  a 
more  glorious  future  than  any  other  nation  of  the  earth.  We 
have  a  great  and  tremendous  future  before  us  ;  for  us  it  is  left  to 
decide  higher  problems,  and  to  test  and  develop  greater  princi- 
ples, than  has  ever  been  the  lot  of  any  other  people.  And  it  is 
because  we  have  such  a  destiny  before  us  that  now,  in  the  period 
of  our  youth,  more  conflicting  and  diverse  elements  are  found 
among  us  than  among  any  other  nation.  Into  the  greatest  of 
nations  must  enter  as  elements  all  that  constitute  the  partialities 
and  nationalities  of  other  peoples,  and  we  have  them  all.  For 
us  are,  at  least,  three  great  questions  to  decide  :  whether  the 
black  man  and  the  Avhite  can  live  together  in  masses,  and  in 
equality  ;  whether  a  free  people  can,  out  of  and  by  their  free- 
dom, perpetuate  law  and  government ;  and  whether  the  church 
can  be  separated  from  the  state,  and  still  the  state  be  pure  and 
Christian.  In  any  other  people  under  the  whole  heaven,  to  state 
these  as  problems  which  that  people  were  called  upon  to  solve, 
would  startle  them  beyond  measure  ;  the  impossibility  would  be 
tacitly  assumed ;  and  yet  we  are  striding  forward  in  the  actual 
solution  of  them.  Through  strife  and  contest,  perhaps  by  the 
fire  and  the  sword,  will  this  be  accomplished ;  but  the  God  of 
nations  rules  in,  and  by  means  of,  and  in  spite  of — discord,  fire, 
and  the  sword. 

I  didn't  have  any  opportunity  the  last  fourth  of  July  to  hear 
an  oration,  so  I  thought  out  the  substance  of  one,  as  you  see. 

Tlie  arrival  of  his  friend,  Prentiss,  was  to  him  a  great 
joy.  After  some  delightful  days  in  Berlin,  they  went 
together  to  Halle,  where  the  new-comer  was  introduced 
to  Tholuck,  Ulrici,  Kahnis  and  others.  In  a  letter  writ- 
ten to  him  many  years  afterward,  Dr.  Prentiss  thus 
referred  to  this  Journey  to  Halle  :  "  Do  you  remember  a 
long  walk  and  talk  we  had  together  in  the  grounds  of  Sans 
Souci  %  It  was  a  perfectly  still,  charming  evening,  and 
we  sat  down  on  a.  fallen  tree,  and  discussed  the  problem 
—What  is  life  %  What  is  existence  %  Was  ist  Das  Seyn  % 
I  shaU  never  forget  the  mysterious,  awe-struck  feelings 


74  Henry  Boy7iton  Smith. 

of  that  hour ;  and,  ever  and  anon,  they  come  back 
again,  like  strains  of  solemn  music  heard  far  off  in  the 
night."  The  two  friends  soon  after  separated,  the  one 
returning  to  Berlin,  the  other  going  with  Prof,  and 
Mrs.  Tholuck  to  Kissingen,  and  in  the  autumn  estab- 
lishing himself  as  a  student  of  theology  at  Halle.* 

To  a  friend : 

Berlin,  August  11,  1839. 

[In  reference  to  his  decision  to  stay  longer  in  Germany].  It 
is  duty  for  me  this  year  to  make  all  the  advances  in  study  possi- 
ble, for  this  is  my  last  year  of  pure  study,  and  I  cannot,  abso- 
lutely (that  is  certain),  do  it  so  well  at  home  as  here.  As  to  the 
unfavorable  influence  of  German  philosophy,  I  cannot,  of  course, 
judge  of  myself,  how  much  I  have  changed  ;  but  I  have  not  the 
conviction  that  study  here  has  had  any  other  effect  than  that  of 
making  my  views  more  deeply  grounded,  and  of  developing  them 
more  clearly.  If  I  tli ought  that  my  heart  were  losing  ground, 
that  I  were  losing  my  simple  reverence  for  the  Scriptures,  and 
my  simple  faith  in  experimental  religion,  I  would  not,  could 
not  hesitate — I  would  come  right  home.  This  decision  I  have 
made  quite  entirely  upon  my  own  responsibility,  against  some  of 
my  most  cherished  wishes ;  I  have  made  it  in  great  pain,  for  I 
wanted  to  go  home  as  much  as  I  ever  wanted  to  do  anything. 

Berlin,  August  15,  1839. 

My  dear  Parents  :  I  have  determined  to  remain  the  next 
semester  here  in  Berlin,  instead  of  returning  home.  I  have 
consulted  with  Dr.  Eobinson,  and  Prof.  Neander  and  Hengsten- 
berg  about  it,  and  they  all  advise  me  strongly  to  remain.  At 
any  rate,  I  should  spend  the  next  year  in  studying,  if  not  here, 
at  home.     Then  the  first  question  is,  where  can  I  study  to  most 

*  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Smith,  dated  some  months  later,  Prof.  Tholuck  writes  : 
"Unterden  vielen  Freunden  welche  mein  Gluck  mehren  steht  Prentiss 
oben  an  ;  er  ist  mein  Freund,  ich  fuhle  das  innigste  Zusammenklingen  un- 
serer  Seelen.  Er  ist  eine  auserwahlte  Seele.  Dank  Ihnen,  theuren  Smith, 
dass  Sie  diesen  Ihren  Freund  mir  zugewiesen  und  an  mein  Herz  gelegt 
haben." 


Life  in  E^irope.  75 

adyantage  ?  and  about  this  there  can  be  but  one  opinion. 
.  .  .  If  I  remain  hero,  I  have  the  society  and  advice  of 
Hengstenberg  and  Neander  (the  latter  particularly  lias  encour- 
aged me  to  undertake  something,  and  has  promised  assistance 
and  counsel).  Then  I  avoid  another  winter  in  New  England, 
which  is  something  worth.  .  .  .  Dr.  Robinson  advises  me 
to  stay,  avid  then  go  home  and  be  examined  by  some  association, 
and  then  go  to  Andover  as  Resident  Licentiate  for  the  next  sum- 
mer. .  .  .  As  to  one  point,  of  which  I  wrote  you  formerly, 
the  influence  of  German  theology  upon  my  mind  and  heart,  I 
trust  that  my  Heavenly  Fatlier  who,  by  His  grace  has  hitherto 
guided  and  preserved  me,  will  still  be  with  me,  and  keep  my 
heart  and  mind  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus.  I  shall  still  be  at  home  in  season  to  spend  the  next 
summer  term  at  Andover,  there  to  write  sermons  and  prepare 
myself  for  the  more  practical  duties  of  the  ministry — for  it  is  my 
intention  still,  at  any  rate,  to  enter  the  ministry  a  year  from 
this  time. 

To  a  friend: 

(August  15,  '39.) 

.  .  .  About  a  week  ago  I  went  with  a  very  dear  friend 
from  Neufchutel  to  make  a  visit  to  the  tutor  of  the  young  prince,* 
who,  if  he  lives,  will  one  day  be  king  of  Prussia.  Godet  is  the 
name  of  the  tutor,  a  young  man  of  twenty-eight,  most  lovely, 
most  Christian ;  no  prince  could  have  a  better  tutor.  He  is 
from  Neufchiitel.  .  .  .  We  went  first  by  rail  to  Potsdam, 
about  fifteen  miles  from  here,  and  then  took  a  carriage  to  drive 
to  Babelsberg.  The  palace  is  in  a  sort  of  half  Gothic  style,  in  the 
midst  of  a  grove,  small  yet  very  pretty,  and  commanding  a  most 
beautiful  view  of  the  Havel,  which  here  spreads  itself  out  so  as 
to  form  almost  a  lake,  of  Potsdam  with  its  many  palaces,  and  of 
some  fine  forests  and  pretty  hills — a  lovely  spot  to  educate  a 
young  prince  in.  We  were  shown  into  the  saloon,  where  were  the 
mother  of  Godet,  two  or  three  exquisites,  and  one  or  two  of  the 
court  ladies.  M.  Godet  received  me  most  kindly,  and  he  is  one 
of  those  men  with  whom  I  feel,  after  the  first  five  minutes,  that 

*  The  present  crown  prince. 


76  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

increased  acquaintance  will  be  only  increased  pleasure.  Loveli- 
ness is  the  characteristic  of  the  man.  We  were  soon  deep  in 
exchanging,  not  discussing,  views  on  Christian  theology  and  the 
Christian  life.  By  and  by,  in  came  bouncing  a  couple  of  boys, 
one  ten  years  old,  tall,  thin,  pretty,  but  a  mere  boy  ;  the  other 
eight,  with  a  full  face,  rather  large  mouth,  red-striped  smock, 
bound  with  a  belt  on  which  the  colors  of  Prussia  shone  ;  but  an 
earnest  face  it  was  for  a  boy ;  he  did  not  laugh  long — soon  be- 
came serious ;  'twas  not  a  German  face,  something  between  the 
German  and  the  English.  "  Le  petit  prince,"  said  madame  to 
me,  and  the  boy  half  slapped,  half  grasped  my  hand,  and  I 
went  to  talking  English  with  him,  which  he  understands  per- 
fectly well  and  speaks  quite  correctly.  I  asked  him  if  he  had 
ever  seen  an  American  before  ?  *'  No,  but  a  man  who  had  been 
to  America,  Mr.  Latrobe  "  (the  traveler),  and  then  he  wanted  to 
know  about  our  negroes.  We  had  some  fruit  and  milk,  and  then 
went  to  walk  in  the  grounds,  to  enjoy  the  fine  view.  The  little 
prince  got  hold  of  my  hand,  and  skipped  and  frolicked  about, 
till  at  last  I  had  him  fairly  pig-back,  and  we  had  a  good  romp  of 
it.  The  love  he  has  for  his  tutor  is  very  great,  and  the  chief 
punishment  is  to  tell  him  that  he  shall  not  have  a  kiss  from  him 
when  he  goes  to  bed.  To  illustrate  the  authority  and  firmness 
of  Godet :  The  children  of  the  royal  families  were  to  go  to  see  a 
panorama ;  the  little  prince  had  been  naughty,  and  Godet  told 
him  he  could  not  go.  The  next  day  the  mother  of  the  prince, 
not  knowing  of  this,  sent  word  to  have  the  boy  brought  into  the 
city  at  such  an  hour,  to  see  the  panorama.  Godet  returned  an- 
swer that  he  could  not  go,  he  had  been  naughty.  The  mother 
said,  "  Punish  him  as  much  as  you  please  afterward,  only  he 
must  go  this  time."  Godet  went  at  once  to  the  father,  and  said 
that  he  must  adhere  to  the  punishment,  otherwise  his  authority 
was  gone,  and  he  must  resign  his  situation.  The  father  acqui- 
esced, and  when  the  mother  heard  from  Godet  personally  the 
whole  affair  she  acquiesced  too,  and  so  he  kept  both  his  place 
and  authority. 

We  went  back  to  the  little  palace,  and  went  through  all  the 
rooms.  The  school-room  of  the  prince  is  in  the  second  story, 
commanding  a  fine  view,  and  the  sun  was  just  setting,  and  the 
glorious  woods  and  the  peaceful  river  were  lighted  up,  and  it  was 


Life  in  Europe.  yy 

very  beautiful.  Then  I  had  the  little  prince  sit  down  to  his 
■writing-desk,  and  write  me  something  as  a  memorial  ;  and  he 
copied  from  his  reading-book,  "  My  heart  feels  that  God  is  in- 
dead  [sic]  our  Father  as  well  as  our  King."  *  "VVe  went  out  before 
the  house  again,  but  soon  came  the  fat  butler:  "Ah,  M.  Go- 
det,  the  potatoes  are  all  nice  and  hot,"  and  we  went  to  the  sup- 
per table,  and  talked  of  serious  and  heavenly  things. 

Beklin,  August  20,  1839. 

You  know  Mrs.  Hegel,  how  kind  she  is  to  me.  She  has  told 
me  much  of  her  life  ;  one  little  incident  is  interesting.  She  told 
me  how  she  became  acquainted  with  Baron  Kottwitz.  She  had 
been  very  ill,  for  some  time  deprived  of  her  reason  ;  in  this  state 
all  that  she  said  was  taken  from  the  Bible — literally.  She  spoke 
no  other  language  than  this,  and  she  understood  no  other.  So 
they  got  a  servant  to  take  care  of  her,  who  knew  the  Bible  almost 
from  beginning  to  end,  and  they  talked  together  in  Biblical  quo- 
tations. After  she  got  well,  through  this  servant,  who  liad  long 
been  in  the  service  of  Baron  Kottwitz,  these  two  noble  hearts 
were  brought  together,  and  they  esteem  one  another  very  highly. 

Dresden,  October  1, 1839. 

I  have  been  to  see  Tieck,  and  been  to  one  of  his  famous  read- 
ings. He  received  me  very  kindly.  He  has  a  fine  countenance, 
but  disease  has  distorted  what  was  once  a  noble  form,  and  now 
he  is  bent  down  and  on  one  side,  and  cannot  raise  his  head  ;  he 
only  raises  his  eyes.  There  is  very  great  clearness  in  all  that  he 
says  and  does,  and  this  impression  is  borne  out  by  a  countenance 
which  is  really  noble,  large,  full,  expressive.  About  twelve  were 
assembled  at  his  evening  party  at  six  o'clock  ;  von  Raumer,  the 
distinguished  historian  from  Berlin,  who  has  lately  published 

*M.  Godet  wrote  in  Jan'y,  1841,  after  Mr.  Smith's  return  :  "This  year, 
so  full  of  events  important  for  the  royal  family  and  the  country,  has  been 
also  full  of  distractions  of  all  kinds,  and  your  dear  little  friend  has  not 
wholly  escaped  them  and  their  influence.  I  have  just  asked  him  what  I 
should  say  to  you  for  him  :  '  That  I  remember  him  well,  and  whether  he 
remembers  me,  too,'  was  the  reply  ;  and  I  add,  out  of  his  heart,  '  Tf  so,  pray 
for  me  (I  need  it)  to  Him  who  not  only  is  our  Lord  but  also  our  Father.'" 

Several  years  later  came  a  similar  message  of  remembrance. 


78  Henry  Boyntojt  Smith. 

under  his  name  a  translation  of  Washington's  life,  which  trans- 
lation, however,  be  it  known,  the  daughter  of  Tieck  made  for 
him.  (She  has  also  translated,  excellently  well,  the  sonnets  of 
Shakespeare.)  V.  K.  is  small,  very  quick  in  motion  and  in 
speech,  almost  impetuous,  knows  everything,  has  considerable 
wit,  speaks  loud,  but  animatedly,  and  to  the  point.  Tieck  did  not 
talk  much,  but  always  to  the  point.  He  seemed  too  much  at 
ease,  too  used  to  being  surrounded  by  the  distinguished,  to  exert 
himself.  After  tea  and  bread  and  butter,  the  reading  began ; 
it  was  one  of  his  own  dramas — *'Blaubart."  The  reading 
was  exquisite,  so  clear,  so  full,  so  animated  and  expressive. 
The  most  delicate  and  finest  shades  of  the  piece  all  prop- 
erly and  beautifully  developed ;  everything  in  perfect  har- 
mony ;  no  display,  and  the  tones  of  his  full,  musical,  expressive 
voice  adapting  themselves  most  beautifully  to  every  character  in 
the  piece.  It  was  a  rich  treat.  He  had  unconsciously  dropped 
his  handkerchief  in  the  course  of  the  reading  ;  a  noble  lady  who 
was  present,  Jumped  up  as  soon  as  he  ended  and  gave  it  to  him  ; 
the  tone  in  which  he  merely  said,  "gnikliste  Frau,"  was  one  of 
the  prettiest  thanks  and  compliments  which  he  could  possibly 
have  given  her.  He  had  seated  himself  during  the  reading  at  a 
little  table  by  himself,  a  lamp  on  it,  the  book  on  a  frame,  the 
arms  and  person  free,  and  we  all  sat  in  three  quarters  of  a  cir- 
cle around  him  ;  and  when  he  finished,  the  whole  company 
gathered  round  him  ;  some  made  quiet  remarks  about  the  read- 
ing ;  then  the  piece  and  the  management  of  the  subject  came 
under  discussion,  the  state  of  the  drama,  etc.,  and  Tieck  said, 
''A  good  comedy,  well  performed,  is  one  of  the  richest  intel- 
lectual treats  one  can  possibly  have." 

To  Ids  parents : 

Dresden,  October  1,  1839. 

Dr.  Julius  gave  me  a  letter  to  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  here,  and  they 
have  introduced  me  to  many  others.  Among  the  latter  is  Prof. 
Vogel  V.  Vogelstein,  who  has  painted  some  very  fine  frescoes  in 
one  of  the  king's  palaces,  a  gentleman  of  fine  taste  and  high  ac- 
complishments, who  has  been  exceedingly  attentive  to  me.  I 
was  sitting  in  my  room  to-day  after  dinner,  and  some  one 
knocked.     It  was  Prof.  V.,  he  was  Just  going  to  take  a  drive  in 


Life  in  Europe.  79 

his  barouche  with  his  family,  and  I  must  go  too,  without  any 
ceremony,  and  so  we  drove  through  some  of  the  most  beautiful 
parts  of  the  neighborhood,  to  the  valley  of  the  Plan,  where  the 
road  is  among  craggy,  precipitous  mountains,  bold  and  startling 
rocks,  and  came  at  last  to  a  village  where  a  ward  of  his  has  an 
estate  in  coal  mines.  The  whole  village  was  in  a  state  of  rejoic- 
ing ;  it  was  a  two-days'  festival — the  miners  contributing  some- 
thing from  their  earnings  to  a  little  fund,  and  as  often  as  there 
is  enough  there  is  a  festival.  It  has  now  been  six  years  since 
there  has  been  such  a  "  time." 

Prof.  V.  enjoyed  it  highly,  and  for  that  matter  so  did  I.  He 
is  a  Catholic,  but  of  very  liberal  feelings  and  views  ;  and  all  the 
way  home  we  discussed  the  state  of  religious  parties  in  Germany 
and  America.  He  is  a  famous  collector  of  coins,  and  I  have  prom- 
ised to  get  him  some  S.  American  coins  after  my  return.  He 
has  presented  me  with  a  very  fine  work  containing  sketches  of 
the  best  pictures  of  the  best  schools. 

After  visiting  Herrnhiit,  the  Saxon  Switzerland,  and 
the  Hartz  Mountains,  and  enjoying  the  Christmas  fes- 
tivities in  Berlin,  he  closed  this  year  and  began  the  next 
with  a  delightful  visit  to  Wulkow,  the  residence  of 
Baron  von  Schenckendorff .  His  excellent  friend,  Besser, 
the  former  amanuensis  of  Professor  Tholuck,  was  now 
vicar  at  Wulkow,  and  at  the  same  time  instructor  to 
some  of  the  baron's  children.  The  eldest  daughter  of 
this  family  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Professor 
Kahnis  of  Leipsic. 

To  his  parents : 

Wulkow,  January  7,  1840. 

The  baron  (formerly  adjutant  to  one  of  the  princes)  traces  the 
line  of  his  ancestors,  all  of  noble  blood,  back  to  the  year  1268. 
He  is  an  extremely  well-educated  man,  of  large  and  liberal  views  ; 
of  course,  a  Prussian  in  principle,  and  no  friend  to  republics  ;  at 
the  same  time  a  sincere,  devoted,  active  Christian.  So  we  have 
been  at  it  pretty  hard,  discussing  the  differences  of  a  republic 
and  an  exclusive,  monarchical  state,  and  though  neither  could 


8o  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

hope  to  win  the  other  to  his  views,  yet  each  understood  the  other 
better.  The  great  points  were  the  relation  of  churcli  and  state, 
of  the  individual  to  the  government,  and  of  the  government  to 
the  people.  I  developed  our  system  as  well  as  I  could,  in  its 
present  state,  showed  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  judge 
us  from  the  European  standard,  that  we  had  other  problems  to 
solve  in  our  history,  and  were  actually  engaged  in  solving,  than 
Europe  had.  I  granted  that  our  state  was  not  the  perfection, 
the  ideal  of  a  state,  but  insisted  that  we  were  in  some  points  in 
advance  of  Europe  ;  that  within  our  Constitution  no  bloody  revo- 
lution could  take  place,  because  we  were  in  a  state  of  constant 
revolution  ;  that  the  great  evil  of  the  Prussian  state  was  that 
every  revolution  must  be  bloody.  I  granted  that  the  Prussian 
theory  was  more  perfect  and  systematic  than  ours,  but  still 
asserted  that  a  more  perfect  form  of  both  church  and  state  was 
conceivable  than  the  Prussian  (because  here  the  church  is  op- 
pressed, and  the  people  have  no  voice  in  the  law)  ;  and  that  we 
were,  though  now  in  a  state  of  effervescence,  yet  nearer  to  that 
perfect  form  than  the  Prussian.  Upon  these  points,  and  such  as 
these  we  have  talked  ;  but  often  when  I  have  stated  some  points 
which  illustrated  the  complete  antipodes  of  our  system  to  this, 
the  Major  would  cry  out,  "Well,  this  I  cannot  understand." 
'Tis,  indeed,  most  difficult  for  a  European  to  enter  into  our  gov- 
ernment and  understand  it. 

The  village  here  numbers  about  five  hundred  inhabitants,  and 
on  New  Year's  Day  they  were  all  in  the  church,  and  after 
church  came  up  all  the  old  and  respectable  ones  and  greeted  the 
family  so  kindly  and  heartily,  and  wanted  to  get  hold  of  the 
baron's  hand.  The  old  pastor  I  visited ;  he  was  so  glad  to  see 
an  American  !  Had  never  seen  one  in  his  life  !  Asked  about  the 
snakes  and  wild  beasts  in  America,  and  whether  they  ever  come 
into  the  cities.  He  had  his  education  fifty  years  ago.  New 
Year's  Day  texts  of  Scripture  w^ere  drawn  by  lot,  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  Moravians,  by  the  whole  family,  then  by  all  the  ser- 
vants. Mine  came  very  appropriate  :  "When  you  enter  into  a 
house  say.  Peace  be  to  this  house."  Every  evening  prayers  and 
singing  in  the  family,  servants  present ;  but  New  Year's  even- 
ing came  so  many  from  the  village  to  take  part  in  the  service, 
that  the  large  saloon  was  filled.     And  how  affectionately  they 


Life  in  Europe.  8i 

all  greeted  the  family  ;  and  how  kindly  the  family  spoke  with 
all  of  them  !  'Twas  delightful  to  witness  it.  It  was  a  blessing 
to  my  heart  so  to  begin  this  year,  and  to  close  the  last ;  and  it 
made  me  more  and  more  imjiatient,  my  dearest  parents,  for  the 
time  when  I  shall  be  with  you  all  once  again.  And  in  this  year, 
with  God's  blessing,  this  long-wished-for  event  shall  take  place. 

Berlin,  February  18,  1840. 

Two  or  three  evenings  since  at  Hengstenberg's,  a  very  pleas- 
ant company ;  Dr.  Eobinson,  Twesten,  Steffens,  a  Norwegian 
professor  here,  about  five-and-fifty,  but  full  of  energy  and  ani- 
mation, talks  exceedingly  well,  as  if  he  could  not  contain  him- 
self. Last  evening  at  Baron  von  Kottwitz's,  as  usual  with  a 
circle  of  young  men  around  him,  whom  he  knows  so  well  how  to 
instruct.  I  have  written  you  so  often  of  him,  and  yet  I  can  never 
write  or  speak  of  him  without  an  almost  enthusiastic  veneration. 
I  haye  never  known  or  seen  his  like.  Christ  is  with  him,  his  all 
in  all ;  there  is  never  a  wavering  in  the  steadiness  of  his  faith.* 


To  a  friend : 

Berlin,  February  18,  1840. 

A  few  evenings  since  I  had  a  "  kneip "  in  my  room,  mostly 
medical  and  law  students.  They  had  asked  me  to  come  to 
them — and  I  must  return  the  compliment — and  we  had  a  nice 
time.  But  better  than  this  is  a  society  of  theologians,  in  which 
I  have  been  for  some  time,  who  come  to  my  room  once  a  week — 
some  eight  in  all ;  we  take  some  portion  of  Scripture,  for  exam- 
ple, the  temptation  of  Christ,   discuss  critically  and  dogmati- 

*  The  following  note,  with  half  a  dozen  similar  ones  preserved,  from 
this  venerable  man,  shows  that  the  affection  was  reciprocal  : 

"My  dear  Friend  :   Two  of  my  very  dear  friends  some  time  since  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  spend  an  evening  with  you     I,  therefore,  permit  myself  to 
send  you  a  cordial   invitation  to  come  next  Saturday  evening,  at  seven 
o'clock,  and  I  will  consider  your  silence  as  a  kind  assent. 
"  With  all  my  heart, 

' '  Your  old,  true  servant, 

"  KOTTWITZ." 

"  Berlin.  6  Alex,  street,  ) 
29th  January,  1840."    j 


82  Hejiry  Boynton  Smith. 

callj,  and  then  practically,   opening  and  closing  with  prayer. 
There  are  some  acute  minds  among  them. 

To  Mr.  G.  L.  Prentiss  [then  in  Halle]  : 

Berlin,  March,  1840. 

Though  I  am  eagerly  expecting  you  this  week,  yet  I  must 
write  you  a  letter,  even  though  it  should  he  a  hurried  one,  just 
to  tell  you  I'm  expecting  you,  and  to  tell  you  how  much  joy  I 
anticipate  from  our  cosy  walkings  and  talkings.  I've  just  had 
letters  from  home  giving  some  particulars  as  to  the  Lexington. 
Prof.  Longfellow's  name  is  not  mentioned,  so  that  he  could  not 
have  been  among  them  as  was  first  reported  ;  but  dreadful, 
most  dreadful  was  the  disaster,  beyond  all  computation  or 
imagination.  President  "Woods  will  probably  come  abroad  this 
year.  I  almost  envy  you  this  delight,  but  instead  of  envying 
you,  I  just  call  upon  you  to  envy  me  my  matchless  delight  in 
coming  home  to  those  I  love  and  who  love  me.  I  tear  myself 
away  with  great  reluctance  from  this  home  of  my  spirit ;  but 
my  heart  and  soul  are  still  all  American.  But  now,  dear 
George,  I  must  stop,  for  I  really  have  not  a  minute's  time  left 
me.  God  in  Christ  bless  and  keep  your  heart  and  mind  in  the 
knowledge  and  love  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  conduct 
us  in  safety  through  all  the  dark  ways  of  this  world  to  Him- 
self— into  that  fulness  of  joy  which  only  the  ecstatic  moments  of 
this  world  dimly  give  us  in  anticipation. 

To  a  friend : 

Berlin,  March  5,  1840. 

Besser,  my  friend  from  Wulkow,  has  been  here,  and  brought 
with  him  a  pressing  invitation  from  the  Schenckendorffs  that 
I  would  visit  them  again  before  I  left,  which,  however,  will 
hardly  come  to  pass.  B.  stayed  with  me  while  here,  and  we 
slept  alternately  on  the  sofa  and  bed  ;  I  enjoyed  his  visit  highly, 
he  is  so  full  of  fire  and  freshness  and  life  ;  and  I  was  particularly 
rejoiced,  because  under  his  preaching  at  Wulkow,  there  were 
already  signs  of  a  revival ;  and  the  evening  hours  which  we 
spent  together  in  prayer  will  long  be  among  my  delightful  recol- 
lections of  the  deep  Christian  fellowship  which  we  have  enjoyed 


Life  in  Europe.  83 

with  one  another.  Prentiss  will  be  here  about  the  20th  of  this 
month,  and  remain  till  I  am  packed  up  and  off.  So  you  see 
that,  even  in  these  last  days  of  my  remaining  here,  I  have  still 
some  pleasures  in  expectation.  From  these  days  and  times  of 
study  I  look  forward,  with  anxious  eagerness,  to  those  times  when 
I  shall  enter  upon  the  practical  duties  of  life,  and  begin  to  work 
— come  into  action,  for  now  I  feel  too  much  like  a  useless 
laborer  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  And  though  much  of 
trembling  fear  is  united  with  the  prosjDcct,  though  the  heavy 
responsibility  is  to  come  upon  me,  so  unworthy  and  unable  to 
bear  it,  yet  I  will  still  "  put  my  trust  in  Him." 

March  19,  1840. 

Prentiss  has  come  to  me  to-day  from  Halle,  and  brought  me 
lots  of  letters  from  my  friends  there,  bidding  me  farewell ;  * 
some  very  kind  letters,  indeed  ;  that  from  Kahnis  especially  so  ; 
he  is  a  noble  fellow.  Tholuck  sent  me  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  Dr.  Pusey  of  Oxford,  the  leader  of  the  new  movement  in  the 
English  Church. 

It  is  a  great  joy  for  me  to  see  Prentiss.  If  Ave  don't  talk 
about  America  and  all  our  friends  there,  it  is  because  we  have 
neither  tongues  nor  language.  He  is  still  full  of  enthusiasm  for 
the  great,  good  and  true,  though  a  little  sobered  by  his  German 
studies. 

A  few  evenings  since  I  went  to  the  Singing  Academy  here,  to 
hear  Handel's  Oratorio  of  "Saul."  The  performances  in  this 
Academy  have  the  reputation  of  being  the  best  in  Europe,  and 
certainly  I  know  of  nothing  that  I  ever  heard  that  Avas  more  im- 
posing than  this  music  ;  it  went  down  into  my  heart  of  hearts. 

March  26,  1840. 

.  .  .  The  Major  (von  S.)  came  the  following  day,  offered  me  a 
seat  in  his  carriage  for  the  next  day  to  Wulkow,  so  kindly,  so  full 
of  heart,  I  could  not  resist  it.     The  day  was  windy,  but  we  had  a 

*  Tholuck's  farewell  letter  is  this  :  "  My  heart  calls  to  you,  dearest,  its 
last  farewell  this  side  of  the  ocean.  You  will  remain  written  upon  it  for- 
ever.    The  Triune  God  be  with  you  1 

"A.  Tholuck. 

"  Halle,  18  May,  1840." 


84  Henry  Boynton  Sinii/i. 

pleasant  drive,  and  it  would  have  done  your  heart  good,  as  it  did 
mine,  to  hear  the  sounds:  "And  here  is  Mr.  Smith,  too!" 
Besser  really  was  quite  nervous,  and  would  hardly  let  me  get  out 
of  his  arms  to  greet  the  other  members  of  the  family. 

To  his  parents : 

Berlin,  April  8,  1840. 

This  eve  I  leave  Berlin  for  London.  I  have  been  absolutely  so 
pressed  for  time  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  put  pen  to  paper 
till  now,  and  now  I  must  write  you  the  shortest  letter  I  have 
ever  written,  to  announce  my  departure.  Since  I  wrote  you,  I 
have  again  visited  the  v.  Schenckendorffs,  in  Wulkow, — have  re- 
ceived from  all  friends  the  most  flattering  proofs  of  kindness 
and  affection, — for  the  last  two  nights  have  slept  but  two  or 
three  hours,  because  I  have  so  horribly  much  to  do,  and  must 
go  to-day.  Full  of  joy,  indeed,  I  am  at  the  thought  of  seeing 
you  all  again  so  soon  ;  yet  at  the  same  time  full  of  pain  at  quit- 
ting so  many  near  and  dear  friends.  Never  shall  I  forget  the 
parting  blessing  of  Neander  and  of  Kottwitz,  the  fervently 
expressed  wishes  of  Hengstenberg,  and  then  Mrs.  Hegel, — it 
almost  unmanned  me  as  I  last  clasped  her  hand  and  received 
her  dearest  wishes  for  ray  happiness.  But  if  I  begin  to  speak 
of  the  kindness  of  my  friends,  I  shall  never  stop. 

To  a  friend : 

Packet  between  Hamburg  and  London,  April  12,  1840. 

The  evening  of  my  departure  [from  Berlin]  six  or  eight  young 
friends  came  in  to  take  tea  with  me  and  to  accompany  me  to  the 
coach.  I  was  heartily,  heartily  wearied  with  the  packing  and 
the  visiting,  and  was  obliged  still  to  scratch  off  some  letters  of 
farewell.  I  believe  that  many,  very  many,  were  really  very  sorry 
to  part  with  me  ;  and,  for  myself,  I  had  never  imagined  that  I 
could  become  so  much  attached  to  any  foreign  land.  It  has  em- 
braced me  with  a  hundred  arms ;  it  has  enticed  me  in  a  hun- 
dred ways. 

London,  May  5,  1840. 

The  weather  has  been  most  delightful  ever  since  I  came,  and 
this  is  now  three  weeks,  weather  such  as  all  London  declares  is 


Life  in  Europe.  85 

quite  unprecedented  ;  every  day  cloudless,  only  a  half  hour's  rain 
in  all  this  time  ;  and  I  have  enjoyed  it  to  the  full.  I  have  seen 
very  many  of  the  remarkable  objects  and  places  of  which  we 
read,  have  traversed  the  Tower,  that  little  town  with  its  equip- 
ments for  the  present,  its  relics  of  past  armies,  its  prison  of 
Ealcigh,  its  jewels  of  the  crown,  and  the  old  woman  who  guards 
them  and  tells  her  tale  so  singingly  ;  Westminster  Abbey,  great, 
glorious,  magnificent ;  a  day  at  Windsor,  which  is  the  most  re- 
markable castle  that  I  have  ever  seen — I  have  literally  seen  noth- 
ing which  has  made  such  an  impression  upon  me  as  Windsor — 
it  is  at  once  a  castle  and  a  palace  ;  Hampton  Court,  with  its 
magnificent  galleries  of  paintings,  its  unrivalled  cartoons  of 
Eaphael, — it  is  the  last  of  the  monastic  style  of  architecture,  its 
gardens  and  labyrinths  beautiful  ;  Busby  Park,  its  entrance  mag- 
nificent. Eichmond  and  its  noble  park  I  have  seen  ;  and  sailed 
up  the  Thames,  where  at  every  turning  a  castle,  a  gentleman's 
seat  such  as  no  other  part  of  the  world  can  disclose,  meets  the 
eye,  most  lovely,  most  English  ;  have  been  at  Chelsea  and 
Vauxhall,  at  Greenwich  and  Kensington ;  have  joined  the  fash- 
ionable crowd  in  Hyde  Park,  and  seen  the  Queen  and  all  the 
great  ones  there  ;  at  a  public  meeting  in  Guildhall  for  New 
Zealand,  but  Gog  and  Magog,  the  Chathams  and  Nelsons  were 
more  interesting  to  me  than  the  speakers.  I  have  been  in  the 
courts  of  law,  and  heard  Manning  and  Pepys,  the  attorney-gen- 
eral and  the  solicitor;  seen  the  Lord  Chancellor  and  other  judges 
and  lawyers  in  their  wigs  and  their  state ;  have  seen  the  mayor 
in  his  splendid  carriage  ;  have  been  over  and  under  the  famous 
bridge ;  seen  London  from  the  river  and  in  the  streets  ;  have 
walked  up  Eegent  street  and  down  Oxford  street,  go  by  St.  Paul's 
every  day,  and  sometimes  into  it ;  have  dined  Avith  Dr.  Smith 
and  Dr.  Henderson  and  Dr.  Eeed,  have  received  great  kindness 
from  Mr.  Vaughan  and  Mr.  Ball  and  Mr.  Baron  and  Mr. 
Dnmmer,  and  am  there  often  ;  am  delighted  with  Mr.  Eobin- 
son,  the  friend  of  Goethe  and  of  Wordsworth,  of  Lamb,  Hazlitt 
and  Carlyle  ;  have  been  to  the  House  of  Lords  when  nobody  was 
there,  and  into  Westminster  Abbey  to  hear  divine  service,  and 
'twas  most  imposing.  I  have  heard  Melville,  Binney,  Fox, 
and  Baptist  Noel  ;  have  heard  Faraday  on  Electricity ;  been 
to  the  meetings  of  the  Eoyal  Society  and  the  Society  of  An- 


86  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

tiquaries ;  am  in  the  midst  of  the  great  anniversaries,  whose 
sound  is  gone  forth  to  all  the  earth  ;  have  seen  the  National 
Gallery  twice,  the  Museum  three  times,  the  Exhibition  of  Mod- 
ern Artists,  and  of  the  Society  of  Water  Colors ;  have  been  in 
Whitehall  Chapel,  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  Regents'  Park,  St. 
James'  Park,  and  to  all  the  famous  squares  ;  have  ridden  in 
cabs,  omnibusses,  hackney-coaches,  oft  in  steamers  ;  all  over  the 
town  and  in  its  environs ;  I  have  been  all  over  the  docks  ;  to  the 
misssionary  meetings — Bible,  Tract,  and  other  societies  in  Exeter 
Hall,  without  number  ;  have  seen  the  great  Wizard  of  the  North, 
and  Punch  and  Judy, — in  short  I  am  heartily  tired  out. 


Years  of  Waiting,  %*j 


CHAPTER    III. 

YEAES   OF   WAITING. — 1840-1842. 

After  a  voyage  of  forty-seven  days,  Mr,  Smith 
landed  in  New  York,  July  1st,  1840.  He  received  an 
unusual  welcome  from  the  large  circle  of  his  personal 
friends,  and  also  from  scholars  and  theologians,  as  one 
fi-esh  from  the  fields  of  German  study,  which  were  then 
less  familiar  and  accessible  than  now. 

*'  At  Andover  I  was  most  cordially  received  by  the  Professors 
Stuart,  Woods,  Park,  Edwards.  Dr.  Woods  treated  me  even 
affectionately.  Prof.  Stuart  kept  me  some  five  hours  in  a  long 
talk  about  Germany  and  Germans.  His  acquaintance  with  the 
theological  literature  is  very  extensive,  though  into  their  doctrinal 
theology  and  philosophy  he  does  not  enter  with  a  full  com- 
prehension. Prof.  Park  invited  me  to  his  house,  Prof.  Edwards 
came  too,  and  we  talked  long.  I  like  Prof.  P.,  as  a  man,  very 
much.  He  is  liberal  in  his  views  on  most  points,  though  I  can- 
not think  that  he  fully  understands  the  deep  meaning  and  the 
philosophical  power  of  the  system  which  he  opposes.  Dr.  Woods 
the  same  as  ever  in  his  views,  always  judicious  and  sound,  though 
never  philosophically  developing  the  truths  which  he  still  re- 
ceives with  his  whole  mind  and  heart.  They  all  thought  it 
would  be  well  for  me  to  come  to  Andover.  Dr.  Woods  wanted 
me,  because  I  knew  something  of  German  philosophy,  and  could 
be  able  to  give  hints  to  the  students  who  are  verging  that  way. 
Stuart  wanted  me  to  study  there,  and  talk  over  books  and  men. 
Park,  too,  urged  it,  so  that  I  could  not  but  be  gratified  with  the 
reception  that  I  met  with.  Dr.  Woods  said  that,  if  I  would 
come,  he  would  ensure  me  enough  preaching  in  the  neighborhood 
to  support  me  during  the  year,  and  then,  if  I  had  a  mind  to 


88  Henry  Boyiiton  Smith. 

write  anything,  it  would  give  me  a  surplus.  I  presented  a  re- 
quest to  be  received  as  a  "  Kesident,"  which  I  can  act  up  to  or 
not,  as  shall  be  deemed  best. 

I  went  Wednesday  to  Eoxbury  to  see  Mr.  [George]  Ripley,  and 
had  a  long,  long  talk.  We  differ  very  much,  yet  are  on  many 
points  united.  He  wants  me  to  translate  a  book,  Twesten's 
Dogmatik,  for  his  '*  Specimens,"  and  I  think  I  shall  do  it ;  he 
also  asks  me  to  write  for  the  "  Dial." 

Walnut  Hills,  Me.,  August  16th, 

Father  was  quite  urgent  that  I  should  attend  the  Associa- 
tion, and  get  a  license,  so  I  went  to  work  on  my  sermon, 
and  in  about  five  hours  had  written  one  that  I  thought  might 
do  ;  for,  though  in  point  of  style  it  had  many  defects,  yet  it  was 
sound  in  doctrine,  scriptural,  presented  the  grand  reconciling 
truths  of  our  dispensation ;  the  text,  1  Cor.  i.  30,  31 — '^  For 
of  Him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wis- 
dom, and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption." 
You  know  it  is  one  of  my  favorite  topics. 

Well,  on  Monday  I  went  to  Portland,  and  next  morning  to 
New  Gloucester  where  the  Association  met.  The  examination 
came  on  after  dinner.  Some  questions  asked,  but  I  was  left 
principally  to  make  my  own  statements.  They  found  me  ortho- 
dox, and  gave  me  my  commission.  More  than  twenty  ministers 
were  present.* 

I  had  four  invitations  to  preach  this  Sunday,  and  five  for  the 
next ;  for  the  next  I  have  refused  all,  for  this  I  came  here.  Mr. 
Hobart  was  very  virgent ;  I  knew  his  people,  f  they  were  in  an 
interesting  state,  and  he  had  had  no  help. 

I  am  now  going  to  preach  again  this  afternoon.  A  beautiful 
new  ehurcli  is  here,  and  a  great  many  old  friends,  and  I  feel  per- 
fectly at  home.  But  oh,  how  much  holiness  of  heart  is  needed 
in  a  minister !  How  deeply  I  feel  my  own  wants  and  needs ! 
We  are  indeed  but  earthen  vessels  to  be  used  for  the  honor  of 

*  A  member  of  the  council  said  afterwards,  in  allusion  to  the  unusual  num- 
ber of  questions  put  to  the  candidate  :  ' '  We  wanted  to  get  all  that  we  could 
out  of  him,  for  we  found  that  he  could  instruct  ws." 

\  He  had  taught  a  school  in  this  place  during  a  college  vacation. 


Years  of  Waiting.  89 

God.     Let  us  pray  tliat  He  will  use  us,  and  make  us  wholly,  only 
His. 

I  preached  again  in  the  afternoon,  extempornaeously,  fully  an 
hour,  but  the  people  assured  me  that  they  were  not  wearied. 
There  is  now  at  Walnut  Hills  a  great  interest  in  religious  sub- 
jects, as  in  the  other  parts  of  N.  Yarmouth.  After  the  sermon 
I  went  to  visit  my  acquaintances  there,  of  course  talking  all  the 
time,  and  in  almost  every  house  I  had  to  read  and  pray  with 
them  again,  so  that  after  the  end  of  my  last  visit,  about  nine 
o'clock,  I  felt  pretty  weary. 

Brtinswick,  September  6,  1840. 

I  have  been  elected  "temporary  additional  Instructor"  in  the 
absence  of  President  Woods  [in  Europe]  ;  $G00  for  the  year ;  no 
title  given,  because  they  were  not  ready  to  appoint  a  professor, 
and  did  not  intend  to  make  the  place  a  permanent  one.  I  hesi- 
tated some  time  about  accepting  it,  but  was  urged  to  do  it  so 
much  that  I  at  length  consented. 


Saccarappa,  September  11,  1840. 
Yesterday  we  all  went  to  Scarboro' ;  I  went  to  grandfather 
Southgate's  to  dinner,  (Uncle,  the  father  of  Horatio,  is  there 
now)  and  rejoiced  in  the  old  familiar  scenes  ;  'twas  so  good  to  be 
amongst  them  once  more.  I  knew  every  tree  in  the  orchard, 
every  nook  in  the  house,  every  hole  in  the  rocks  ;  and,  at  "Mill 
Fall "  I  nearly  lost  myself  in  the  past,  so  well  had  those  stern, 
rugged  rocks  kept  every  lineament ;  it  seemed  to  me  that  hardly 
had  the  moss  changed,  and  the  same  rippling  of  the  stream  over 
the  rocks,  too ;  'twas  exquisite  to  get  back  once  more  fully  to 
boyhood.  .  .  .  Next  Sunday  I  shall  preach  here  part  of 
the  day. 

September  20,  1840. 

I  do  not  think  so  much  of  the  transitoriness  and  fickleness  of 
all  in  this  life,  but  rather  of  the  permanent  and  enduring.  I 
am  too  apt  to  dwell  upon  that  which  we  already  have  here,  which 
will  finally  remain  to  us,  which  will  go  with  us  beyond.  I  am 
dwelling,  too  much,  perhaps,  upon  those  truths  and  connections 


QO  Hairy  Boy  it  ton  Smith. 

which  I  conceive  to  be  enduring  and  eternal,  and  living  thus,  in 
some  respects,  too  abstracted  from  all  which  has  its  center  and 
home  here.  And  by  this  I  do  not  at  all  mean  that  this  has  any- 
thing of  a  purely  religious  nature  in  it.  'Tis  rather  philosophy 
than  faith  which  leads  me  to  do  this ;  'tis  rather  that  I  am  liv- 
ing for  science  and  knowledge,  than  that  I  am  cultivating  devout 
affections  and  a  holy  life,  for  of  this  last  I  am  too  neglectful,  I 
pay  too  little  attention  to  what  is  called  practical  religion. 

To  Rev.  Benjamin  Tappan,  Jr. : 

Brunswick,  October  2,  1840. 

.  .  .  I  am  confined  in  the  house  this  evening.  '^Inthe 
house"  meaneth  here,  Daniel's,  i  e.,  Mr.  Goodwin's*  house.  I 
feel  very  much  at  home,  for  this  is  a  sort  of  home  to  me,  rich  in 
many  blessings. 

I  regretted  much  not  to  be  at  Bangor  at  the  Anniversary,  but 
another  attraction  at  Dorchester  and  the  Cambridsre  Commence- 
ment  drew  me  in  a  contrary  direction,  and  I  don't  know  but  I 
was  happier  as  it  was.  President  Woods's  address — you  have, 
doubtless,  heard  much  of  it  already — was  admirable  ;  the  recon- 
ciling character  of  this  age  in  matters  of  science  and  religion  ; 
it  made  Mm  a  reputation.  And  then  the  Boston  transcenden- 
talists,  I  became  acquainted  with  many  of  them.  ...  A 
strange  set  they  are,  full  of  what  they  call  inspiration,  believing, 
in  some  sort,  in  higher  things,  but  their  belief  is  as  yet  shrouded  in 
dreams  and  phantasmagorical  shapes  ;  and  not  the  meeting  on 
the  Blockberg,  nor  the  Helena  of  the  second  part  of  Faust,  where 
all  antique  mythology,  and  northern  elfs,  and"Sagen"  and 
Miirchen  meet  together,  can  represent  all  the  dancing  troup 
among  which  their  faith  is  whirling.  But  a  spirit  is  in  them, 
and  time  and  God  will  test  it ;  it  is  a  movement,  not  yet  a  shape, 
no  form  or  feature,  more  allied  with  Germany  than  Avith  any 
other  part,  but  not  German  exclusively. 

As  to  myself  here,  my  duties  this  term  are  comparatively  light ; 
the  themes  of  the  Junior  class,  translations  of  Sophomores, 
once  a  week  the  Freshmen  in   Eschenburg's  Manual,  and  the 

*  Mr.  Goodwin  was  now  Professor  of  Modern  Languages  in  Bowdoin 
College. 


Vea7^s  of  Waiting.  91 

evening  prayers  ;  so  that  a  great  deal  of  time  is  my  own.  In  the 
meantime,  I  shall  make  the  translation  of  Twesten,  pursue  my 
theology,  write  sermons,  and,  occasionally,  preach  the  same  ; 
for  the  future,  trust  in  Providence  :  this  may  bring  me  sometime 
to  the  pastoral  office,  and  I  do  love  preaching,  my  great  fear  be- 
ing of  lungs  and  health.  But  I  could  not  very  well  live  without 
occasional  preaching  :  I  need  this  sort  of  vent  to  keep  my  mind 
in  a  healthy  state,  and  to  popularize  for  myself  what  I  am  too 
apt  to  put  into  the  abstract  language  of  theology  or  philosophy. 

To  Mr.  G.  L.  Prentiss  [in  Berlin']  : 

BowDOiN  College,  November  2,  1 840. 

I  attended  Dartmouth  commencement, — good.  Drs.  Beecher 
and  Henry  there  ;  the  former  tried  to  prove  that  Edwards  was 
New  School.  Dr.  Henry  I  like  very  much  ;  there  is  something 
manly  and  fearless  about  him.  The  Princeton  Revieiu  has 
come  out  with  two  smashing  articles  against  transcendentalism, 
under  which  it  includes  all  German  philosophy,  full  of  mis- 
conceptions and  misstatements,  especially  a  bitter  attack 
against  Dr.  Henry  and  Cousin.  D.  H.  is  going  to  reply, 
and  in  the  matter  of  German  philosophy  wants  me  to  come 
to  his  aid.  I  am  doubtful  what  to  do.  I  should  like  to 
give  an  expose  of  the  systems,  mainly  in  a  historical  point 
of  view,  but  have  hardly  now  the  time.  I  think  I  shall 
confine  myself  to  furnishing  Dr.  H.  with  some  data.  The  Tran- 
scendentalists  are  working  on  in  the  Boston  Review,  of  which 
Brownson  is  editor,  and  in  the  "Dial"  a  new  publication, 
in  which  all  sorts  of  conglomerations,  hopes  and  prophecies  ap- 
pear, full  of  the  future  and  of  imaginings.  Brownson  comes  out 
against  everything,  a  perfect  democrat,  wholly  subjective,  deny- 
ing all  historical  right.  ''Menzel's  German  Literature,"  trans- 
lated admirably,  has  appeared  in  Ripley's  Series.  I  am  now 
translating  for  it  the  first  volume  of  ''Twesten's  Dogmatik." 
If  you  meet  with  any  important  hints  or  reviews  bearing  upon 
this  book,  send  them  to  me. 

I  was  on  the  steamboat  to  Portland  with  your  brother  Sear- 
gent.  His  reputation  was  at  the  highest,  called  everywhere, 
feasted  everywhere,  making  brilliant  speeches  everywhere. 

I  am  glad  that  you  have  my  old  room.     Tell  Sayer  and  his 


92  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

wife  to  take  as  good  care  of  you  as  they  did  of  me.  Remember 
me  to  them  kindly.  Write  me  about  tlie  new  king,  of  whom 
many  good  things  are  related,  of  new  books,  new  strifes,  new 
theology,  of  '^Strauss's  Dogmatik,"  etc.  "Will  you  inquire,  too, 
about  some  good  books  on  rhetoric  generally,  on  style  and  the 
orator,  and  if  there  be  any  one  very  vorziiglich  I  should  like  it ; 
also  as  to  the  vernacular  German  grammars.  Find  out  if  there 
be  any  good  treatise  on  the  principles  and  method  of  transla- 
tions. What  are  the  best  manuals  on  Greek  and  Roman  mytho- 
logy ?  I  board  at  Goodwin's  and  am  very  happily  situated.  I 
am  reading  Bossuet  and  J.  Taylor  on  Catholicism,  also  Hooker 
and  some  other  worthies.  Do  Mj^ite  me  soon,  as  soon  as  you  get 
this,  and  write  as  small  as  possible  so  as  to  make  a  nice  long  let- 
ter.   Your  last  showed  some  improvement  in  penmanship. 

In  reference  to  Dr.  Henry's  request  lie  wrote  to  an- 
other friend : 

Now  this  article  affords  a  grand  opportunity  for  an  attack,  for 
it  contains  heavy  charges  and  severe  misrepresentations,  perver- 
sions, in  fact,  of  German  philosophy  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  I 
coincide  in  some  of  the  fears  and  in  many  of  the  views  enter- 
tained by  the  author.  I  am  no  blind  upholder  of  German  sys- 
tems. I,  too,  would  oppose  them,  but  not  by  perversions,  not 
by  rendering  them  ridiculous,  not  by  impeaching  my  own  under- 
standing and  destroying  my  veracity  as  a  historian  of  opinions  ; 
so  that  I  hardly  know  what  to  do. 

There  will  be  abundance  of  time  by-and-by  for  me  to  do  any- 
thing in  the  way  of  expounding  German  philosophy,  so  far  as 
this  may  be  useful  or  necessary,  and  it  will  be  a  positive  advan- 
tage to  wait  until  positive  evils  grow  out  of  this  tendency  to 
Germanicise  ;  also  to  wait  until  in  some  other  way  I  may  become 
known,  so  that  the  first  that  people  hear  of  me  may  not  be  in 
connection  with  a  suspicious  party,  suspicious,  I  mean,  because 
all  is  included  in  it,  because  there  is  nothing  fixed,  because  its 
members  are  more  subjective  than  objective  in  their  tendencies  ; 
are  more  for  the  future  than  for  the  past  or  present.  But  Avhen 
I  once  begin  there  will  be  no  stopping  ;  partly  because  such  is 
my  nature,  partly  the  force  of  habit.     Tholuck  said  once  to  me 


y^aj's  of  Waiting.  93 

that  when  one  began  to  be  an  author  it  seemed  as  if  an  irresisti- 
ble force  impelled  him  to  continue  ;  that  the  tendency  of  writ- 
ing one  book  was  to  lead  him  to  write  another.  And  Beethoven 
speaks  of  "  the  momentum  acquired  by  the  very  act  of  composing 
a  book  urging  him  to  compose  another." 

During  the  winter  vacation  lie  went  to  Boston  and  An- 
dover,  and  wrote  : 

Boston,  Jan'y  21,  1841. — On  Tuesday  I  dined  with  Mr.  Rip- 
ley. After  dinner  he  said  that  Mr.  Bancroft  wished  to  see  me, 
and  so  we  went  over  there  and  spent  a  couple  of  hours  very  de- 
lightfully ;  it  was  all  about  Germans  and  Germany.  Mr.  B. 
sometimes  gets  very  eloquent  in  talking.  He  was  very  much 
interested  in  finding  out  all  he  could  about  Hegel,  etc.  The  first 
part  of  the  time  Brownson  was  there  ;  he  has  a  great  intellect, 
with  a  natural  predilection  for  philosophy,  and  discusses  all 
philosophical  questions  with  the  greatest  acuteness ;  but  he  is 
passionate,  too  grasping,  has  little  refinement.  In  the  evening 
took  tea  with  Ripley.  Young  Dana  and  Cranch,  who  has  writ- 
ten poetry  for  the  Dial,  were  there,  and  then  we  all  went  to  hear 
Dr.  Walker,*  though  Mr.  Ripley  went  home  to  read  a  book  on 
carrots.  Dr.  W.  able,  an  immense  audience,  the  whole  Odeon 
full.  The  interest  in  his  lectures  increases  daily,  in  spite  of  some 
newspaper  attacks,  and  he  is  unquestionably  a  very  strong  man. 

After  lecture  we  all  went  to  Dr.  Channing's,  and  I  had  there  a 
delightful  time.  .  .  .  Most  of  the  evening  I  Avas  talking 
with  him.  I  liked  him  very  much,  he  is  so  very  quiet.  He  says 
he  wants  to  know  something  more  about  Hegel,  he  knows  some- 
what of  the  other  luminaries.  German  theology  came  upon  the 
tapis  ;  he  wanted  to  know  about  the  infidels  ;  how  large  a  part 
of  the  theologians  were  liberal  Christians,  etc.  Was  glad  that  I 
was  going  to  translate  Twesten.  Some  beautiful  tableaux,  in 
which  his  daughter  took  a  prominent  part,  about  fifty  people 
there.  Mrs.  H.  very  pleasant,  Miss  S beautiful  and  intelli- 
gent, Dr.    Channing  good  and  independent.     Then  there  was 

*  Then  professor  of  Moral  Philosophy,  afterward  president  of  Harvard 
University. 


94  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

beautiful  singing  by  Miss  Dana,  daughter  of  E.  H.,  a  very  splen- 
did voice  ;  and  by  Cranch,  who  sang  one  or  two  beautiful  G-erman 
songs  ;  and  about  half-past  eleven  we  came  away,  highly  de- 
lighted with  all.  Wednesday  evening  I  went  to  Cambridge  ; 
Prof.  Longfellow  as  ever  ;  Prof.  Felton  there,  and  he  is  different 
from  what  I  expected,  does  not  look  like  a  student,  is  one 
though.  I  had  quite  a  walk  with  him  ;  then  to  President  Quin- 
cy's,  who  told  me,  with  all  enthusiasm,  about  his  plan  for 
governing  the  college,  everything  marked,  and  the  sum  total 
carried  through  all  the  four  years. 

Dined  at  Bancroft's  ;  very  pleasant.  .  .  .  Mr.  B.  wanted 
to  know  all  about  the  recent  books  and  parties  and  journals  in 
Germany  ;  he  has  already  a  beautiful  library  which  he  is  rapidly 
enlarging.  His  is  a  very  cultivated  mind,  and  talks  exceedingly 
well.  ...  I  had  the  pleasure  of  telling  him  all  about  Heine 
and  Gottingen.  .  .  .  After  dinner,  called  on  Mr.  E.  H.  Dana,  a 
contrast ;  rather  a  churchman,  poetical,  poetically  old  school,  his 
whole  soul  against  the  locos  and  transcendentalists.  And  in 
the  evening  I  went  to  Miss  Peabody's.  Parker  of  Eoxbury  was 
there,  and  Cranch,  and  Clarke  of  Louisville,  who  left  L.  be- 
cause he  could  not  have  free  labor,  and  the  Eipleys,  and  Dr. 
Channing  and  his  daughter;  and  others,  quite  transcendental, 
in  fact  very.  Miss  Peabody,  full-souled,  quite  learned.  Art 
was  very  much  discussed,  and  I  had  with  some  ladies  some  quite 
learned  transcendental  talk.  Parker  is  learned,  thoroughly  so, 
and  therefore  I  was  glad  to  meet  him.  He  is  now  full  of 
Goethe  and  Biblical  criticism.  To-day  I  am  going  to  dine  with 
Dr.  Channing,  to  take  tea  at  Mr.  E.  H.  Dana's,  to  spend  the 
evening  at  Mr.  Ticknor's. 

January  26,  1841. 

A  very  pleasant  visit  at  Dr.  Channing's.  The  Doctor  is  a  rare 
questioner.  He  asked  me  very  much  about  German  theology 
and  pantheism.  ...  He  has  not  a  philosophical  mind,  not 
even  a  comprehensively  theological  one ;  it  is  almost  wholly  of  a 
moral  order  ;  he  wants  to  found  all  theology  in  love  and  right, 
hardly  admitting  any   ontological   questions  in   regard   to   the 

nature  of  things,  of  the  divine  mind,  etc.     .     .     .     Miss , 

a  Catholic  lady,  was  there,  and  she  attacked  all  the  Protestant 


Vea7^s  of  Waiting.  95 

presumptions  quite  braycly,  declaring  how  satisfied  she  was  with 
the  simple  reception  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Church.  After  din- 
ner the  talk  came  upon  the  papal  doctrines,  and  Miss said 

liow  glad  she  was  to  have  communion  v/ith  so  large  a  church  ; 
**  but,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  have  communion  with  a  still  larger 
one,  with  all  holy  minds  that  have  ever  lived."  ...  At 
Mr.  Dana's  a  very  pleasant  time  ;  his  daughter  sings  wonder- 
fully, and  he  is  so  excellent,  full  of  deep,  quiet,  unpretending 
thought.  At  Mr.  Ticknor's  a  large,  brilliant,  fashionable  party. 
We  went  off  into  Mr,  T.'s  magnificent  library,  eleven  thou- 
sand volumes,  a  grand  room,  the  finest  private  library  in. 
the  United  States.  .  .  .  Last  evening  I  heard  Emerson 
give  a  lecture  before  the  Mechanics'  Institute.  It  was  very 
able  and  very  false,  partial  truth  and  total  error.  We  must  all 
be  reformers,  must  go  nearer  to  Mother  Earth,  must  have  no 
commodity  for  whose  production  we  have  not  labored ;  but  it 
was  all  of  it  reform  without  redemption,  very  many  admirable 
thoughts,  but  much  distortion,  some  passages  very  eloquent ; 
but  his  style  is  not  natural.     It  is  forcible  and  forced. 


Andover. 

Prof.  Park  is  now  preaching  here  a  series  of  sermons  upon 
predestination,  election,  etc.  Everybody  speaks  of  his  great 
power  as  a  preacher.  The  students  are  full  of  enthusiasm  about 
him.  I  have  had  a  very  pleasant  visit  here  indeed.  The  profes- 
sors have  all  treated  me  very  kindly.  I  go  in  and  out  at  Prof. 
Woods's  as  if  it  were  a  home.  I  have  had  some  good  long  talks 
with  him  about  doctrines,  etc.,  and  I  can  agree  with  him  in 
most  points.  He  is  very  judicious.  Prof.  Edwards  asked  me 
to  spend  the  Sabbath  with  him  ;  so  I  am  here.  To-day  Park 
has  preached  all  day  on  decrees,  and  he  is  truly  a  great  preacher. 
He  is  sometimes  tremendous,  in  thought  and  manner.  He 
bids  fair  to  be  the  first  American  preacher.  Prof.  Edwards  is  a 
thorough  scholar  and  an  excellent  man.  He  likes,  too,  a 
good  laugh,  and  we  have  had  some  right  good  ones.  .  .  . 
I  always  feel  aroused  in  talking  with  Park.  He  does  not  talk  a 
great  deal  himself,  but  he  has  a  gi'eat  faculty  of  making  others 
do  so.     .    .     . 


96  Henry  Boynto7i  Smith. 

Brunswick,  February  4,  1841. 

I  preached  in  Portland  yesterday  ;  in  the  morning  for  Mr. 
Condit ;  in  the  afternoon  at  High  street.  It  did  seem  a  little 
queer  to  have  around  me  faces  and  people  I  had  known  from  a 
boy,  and  so  many  of  them  ;  but  that  feeling  was  soon  lost  in 
other  and  deeper  ones.  Quite  a  number  of  Unitarians  came  to 
hear  me.  ...  I  met  the  freshmen  for  the  purpose  of  form- 
ing a  Bible  class.  They  sent  voluntarily  to  know  if  I  would  be 
their  teacher.  ...  I  have  a  renewal  of  the  invitation  to 
lecture  at  Gardiner  before  the  Lyceum,  and  have  accepted  it. 
I  have  been  thinking  of  Mythology  as  a  subject,  or  rather  of 
showing  how,  even  in  the  classical  religions,  there  was  an 
Ahnmig  of  Christianity. 

Brunswick,  April,  1841. 

I  am  glad  to  do  anything  to  make  this  event  [the  sudden 
death  of  President  Harrison  in  Washington]  more  impressive. 
They  are  making  great  preparations  for  to-morrow  :  a  military 
escort,  many  people  from  the  neighboring  towns,  a  requiem, 
etc.  .  .  .  The  eulogy,  a  very  simple  one,  was  delivered  to 
a  crowded  house.  The  whole  occasion  was  a  very  solemn  one 
to  me.* 

Brunswick,  June,  1841. 

Preached  at  Bath,  in  the  forenoon,  my  only  written  sermon  ; 
in  the  afternoon  extemporaneously,  from  the  text,  ^'Sanctify  us 
wholly,"  to  show  some  of  the  reasons  why  sanctification  is  a 
gradual  and  not  an  instantaneous  work,  and  of  tlie  wisdom  of 
God  in  this  treatment  of  His  dear  children.  This  is  a  subject 
which  has  interested  me  very  much  ;  and  this  week  I  mean  to 
write  the  sermon  out,  if  I  can  find  time,  and  preach  it  here  next 
Sunday. 

About  this  time  advances  were  made  to  Mm  from 
Hanover,  N.  H.,  in  regard  to  the  pastorate  of  its  village 
church  in  connection  with  the  professorship  of  divinity 

*  By  request  the  same  address  was  repeated  in  Bath  on  the  day  of  the 
national  fast. 


Years  of  Waiting.  97 

in  the  college.  But  after  personal  interviews  and 
correspondence  on  the  subject,  the  claims  of  several 
other  candidates,  better  known  to  the  trustees,  were 
pressed  at  commencement,  and  the  election  was  de- 
ferred until  January. 

At  the  same  time  his  friends  in  Maine  were  earnestly 
desiring  his  permanent  connection  with  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege, as  professor  of  literature.  The  faculty  were  unan- 
imous in  requesting  it  of  the  boards  of  trustees  and  over- 
seers, many  of  whom,  also,  were  desirous  of  retaining 
him.  But,  at  the  decisive  meeting  of  the  boards  at 
commencement,  the  matter  was  dropped. 

An  extract  from  one  of  his  letters,  dated  Brunswick, 
September  3,  will  show  in  what  spirit  he  met  these  re- 
peated disappointments : 

I  did  strongly  expect  a  different  resiTlt.  And  now  I  try  to 
believe- that  it  is  all  for  the  best — that  God  has  sornetbing  else- 
where for  me  to  do.  I  have  bad  some  sad  hours  since  the  deci- 
sion came.  I  did  not  know  before  bow  strongly  I  was  attached 
to  Brunswick  ;  bow  bard  it  would  be  to  give  up  all  thoughts  of 
rem.aining  here.  I  had  too  fondly  expected  a  different  result. 
But  now  I  do  not  feel  discouraged  nor  dispirited.  I  am  as 
ready  for  duty,  wherever  it  may  call  me,  as  I  was  before.  I 
trust  I  am  more  ready  than  before  to  consecrate  myself  without 
reserve  to  the  service  of  my  Redeemer. 

From  my  friends  here  and  in  the  boards,  from  very  many  of 
them,  I  have  received  the  warmest  proofs  of  kindness.  The  real 
reason  why  I  have  no  place  here  is — Unitarianism.*  The 
alleged  reason  is  the  state  of  the  funds.  My  friends  say  : 
''Next  year  you  will  be  elected."     So  they  said  a  year  ago. 

There  is  a  slight  degree  of  humiliation  about  it,  as  if  I  and 
my  friends  had  overestimated  my  merits,  and  thought  my  elec- 
tion more  important  to  the  interests  of  the  college  than  it  really 
is.     Time  will  show,   and,  if  I  am  well,  it  shall  show.     Only 

*  Very  possibly,  too.  unknown  to  himself,  there  were  fears  in  the  minds 
of  some  of  the  conscientious  orthodox,  on  the  other  hand,  in  regard  to  that 
monstrum  horrendum,  German  philosophy. 

7 


q8  He7iry  Boynton  Sutzth. 

six  weeks  ago  what  prospects  ;  there  was  the  chance  of  being 
elected  to  an  important  post  in  Hanover,  to  an  honorable  posi- 
tion here.  The  six  weeks  are  gone  and  neither  hope  has  been 
fulfilled. 

During  this  year  of  instruction  in  Bowdoin  College  his 
influence  over  the  students  was  great,  and  their  attach- 
ment to  him  was  very  strong.  One  of  them,  Rev. 
George  F.  Magoun,  President  of  Iowa  College,  writes 
thus : 

"  I  owe  to  him  much  as  a  senior  year  instructor  in  college, 
and,  among  other  things,  I  owe  to  him  this,  my  first  impression 
of  how  winning  a  great  scholar  can  be.  The  studies  he  taught 
in  have  never  lost  the  hold  which  his  skillful  and  unique  teach- 
ing gave  them  ;  and  afterward  at  Andover,  I  received  from  him 
an  impetus  toward  philosophy,  which,  after  more  than  thirty 
years,  remains.  I  was  just  at  that  age  and  stage  when  the  dan- 
ger of  disesteeming  simple-hearted  Christian  faith  could  be  best 
averted  by  the  influence  of  one  who  knew  the  great  world  of 
culture,  art  and  life  abroad ;  and  his  conversations,  with  now 
and  then  a  translation  he  had  been  making,  which  he  gave  me 
to  read,  had  this  influence.  The  acuteness,  readiness,  and  ful- 
ness of  his  mind  in  that  immense  field  I  was  just  beginning  to 
wonder  at,  were  a  constant  marvel  to  me,  and  the  lesson  of  lay- 
ing all  at  the  feet  of  our  adorable  Lord  and  Saviour  was  worth 
everytliing.  When  I  have  recalled  the  beauty  of  character 
joined  Avith  all  beside,  I  have  ever  been  very  thankful  that  I  have 
known  him,  I  still  quote  detached  distinctions  and  suggestions 
of  his  to  the  classes  I  instruct,  though  I  cannot,  alas  !  convey  to 
them  the  exceeding  loveliness  of  the  honored  Christian  teacher 
from  whose  now  silent  lips  they  came." 

After  leaving  Brunswick,  he  sought  at  once  another 
sphere  of  labor,  and,  after  a  few  weeks,  he  accepted  an 
invitation  to  preach  to  a  newly  organized  church  at  Old 
Hadley,  Mass.  He  went  there,  and,  with  no  reluctant 
heart,  gave  himself  to  the  work  which  had  been  his  first 


Years  of  Waiting.  gg 

choice,  but  which  repeated  experiments  liad  led  him  and 
his   friends   to  regard  as  too  hazardous  to  his  liealth. 
He  preached  for  a  few  weeks  with  great  earnestness,  and 
won  the  affections  of  the  people  in  an  unusual  degree. 
In  October  he  wrote: 

I  have  taken  for  my  text  Gal.  iv.  18,  laying  the  emphasis  on  the 
word  " ahvays."  I  mean  to  make  it,  if  I  can,  very  plain  and 
practical,  such  as  will,  to  some  degree,  suit  the  present  state  of 
the  church  and  people.  In  short,  I  am  going  to  try  to  write  a 
sermon  that  will  do  good,  and  to  pray  to  God  to  give  me  wis- 
dom so  to  write.  It  will  be  pretty  hard  work  to  bring  my  mind 
to  where  it  ought  to  be — to  the  practical  application  of  the 
truths  and  doctrines  of  the  Bible  to  the  wants  and  hearts  of 
men.  But  what  is  the  theology  worth  which  cannot  be  brought 
home  to  men's  minds  and  hearts  ? 

But  the  strain  of  suspense  and  disappointment  had 
been  too  great  for  the  outward,  if  not  for  the  inward 
man.  In  the  midst  of  his  sermon,  which  he  was  preach- 
ing with  even  more  than  his  usual  energy,  he  faltered 
and  was  prostrated.  And  thus  his  ministrations  in  the 
Hadley  pulpit  came  to  an  end. 

After  weeks  of  great  feebleness  spent  with  his  friends 
at  Northampton,  he  went  home,  as  before  from  Andover, 
to  the  sympathizing  care  of  his  parents.  Convalescence 
came  slowly,  under  painful  medical  treatment. 

He  wrote  at  this  time  : 

November  21,  1841. 

I  trust  that  I  have  consecrated  myself  anew  to  the  service  of 
my  Master,  and  that  Ee  has  accepted  the  consecration  ;  that 
whatever  He  may  henceforth  give  me  of  health  or  means  of  influ- 
ence shall  all  be  consecrated  to  His  service  ;  that  if  He  chooses  to 
make  me  suffer,  I  will  be  ready  to  do  it  for  the  sake  of  Him  who 
sendeth  affliction,  of  the  Saviour  who  endured  it,  and  of  my  own 
soul  which  needs  it. 

While  he  was  in  Saccarappa,  there  was  an  unusual 


lOO  Henry  Boyiiton  Smith. 

religious  interest  in  the  village.  .  As  his  returning 
strength  allowed,  he  went  into  the  daily  meetings,  assist- 
ing the  clergyman  in  prayer  and  exhortation.  He  was 
the  object  of  warm  affection  among  the  peox)le,  and  now 
his  feeble  health  gave  him  a  fresh  claim  to  their  interest. 
Poor  old  women  spoke  of  him  with  tears,  and  pleaded 
for  him  in  thek  prayers. 

Saccarappa,  January  5,  1842. 

I  have  attended  [the  meetings]  part  of  the  time,  and  think  it  has 
done  me  no  hurt  and  has  done  me  good.  How  different  it  is  to 
come  from  tlie  theorizing  about,  and  preparation  for  the  min- 
istry, right  into  the  ministry  itself ;  to  apply  all  that  one  has 
learned  to  hearts  and  souls  ;  to  have  living  hearts,  immortal 
souls  before  one,  instead  of  the  mere  notions  and  ideas  of  them. 
It  is  then  that  the  responsibility  becomes  very  great.  I  feel  now 
that  I  could  very  easily  let  myself  go  on  till  I  got  very  excited  in 
the  course  of  these  meetings,  but  I  began  them  determined  to  be 
prudent.  .  .  .  Soon  I  shall  be  able  to  preach  again,  and  then 
I  shall  be  glad. 

In  January,  1842,  at  the  adjourned  meeting  of  the 
Trustees  of  Dartmouth  College,  his  hopes  were  again 
disappointed,  the  reports  of  his  feeble  health  doubtless 
conducing  to  the  result. 

January  17,  1843. 

.  .  .  This  is  very,  very  hard  to  bear.  But  I  do  not  feel 
disheartened  at  all.  I  feel  just  as  ready  to  embark  on  some 
other  plan  of  life  as  I  did  before,  nay,  more  so.  Now  I  shall 
have  no  situation  to  lean  upon,  no  place  ensured  to  me,  only 
such  as  I  may  work  out  for  myself  with  the  strength  which  God 
gives  me.  For  the  third,  yes,  for  the  fourth  time,  my  hopes 
have  been  disappointed,  my  plans  broken  in  pieces,  and  what 
shall  become  of  the  fifth  when  it  is  formed  ?  But  God  knows, 
and  ive  Tcnoiv,  that  in  Him  is  all  our  trust  and  hope. 

When  he  had  somewhat  recovered,  he  spent  a  few 
weeks  in  Boston  and  Andover  in  search  of  employment. 


Years  of  Waiting.  loi 

In  February  he  preached  in  Roxbury,  Massachusetts, 
and  the  next  two  months  in  Portsmouth,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  South  Berwick,  Maine,  all  without  result,  his 
feebleness  being  too  apparent. 

Boston,  February  15,  1842. 

Yesterday  forenoon  I  went  to  the  legislature — a  great  deal  of 
talk  and  not  very  much  of  wisdom.  Then  I  called  on  Dr.  Chan- 
ning.  He  was  not  very  well,  and  said  that  he  was  consequently 
glad  to  see  a  fi'iend.  So  I  sat  an  hour  with  him.  I  love  to  hear 
him  talk — so  quiet  and  yet  so  firm,  such  a  benevolent  way  about 
him,  as  tho'  seeking  all  the  good  he  could  everywhere  find.  The 
Church  was  the  main  subject  ;  we  differed,  and  he  heard  my 
differences  patiently  and  kindly.  When  I  came  away  he  gave 
me  a  sermon  on  "The  Church,"  which  was  preached  and  pub- 
lished last  year  in  Philadelphia.  ...  In  the  afternoon  I 
called  on  Mr.  Kirk.  He  recollected  my  face,  but  not  myself,  till 
I  told  him  some  things.  He  was  kind,  said  he  would  do  any- 
thing for  me  that  he  could,  wanted  to  know  if  my  preaching  was 
of  the  pungent  sort,  thought  that  one  with  my  advantages  ought 
to  be  able  to  do  much  good  in  Boston  just  now.  Mr.  Aiken 
came  in,  they  wanted  me  to  go  to  an  inquiry  meeting  with  them 
at  Park  Street  Vestry.  I  did.  About  fifty  there,  mostly  ladies. 
I  conversed  with  several  of  them  ;  some  were  Unitarians.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  good  deal  of  deep  feeling.  In  the  evening  went 
to  a  small  party  at  Mrs.  S.'s,  but  came  away  early,  for  I  had  a 
deal  of  headache,  which  has  subsided  to-day  wholly.     .     .     . 

February  \1. — Yesterday  I  called  on  Mr.  Ticknor  ;  he  asked 
me  to  come  Friday  evenings  and  see  his  wife,  and  any  time 
and  see  him  and  use  his  library  as  much  as  I  can.  He  has  also 
given  me  an  introduction  to  the  Athenaeum,  so  that  I  can  go  there 
any  time  and  read  and  write.  I  availed  myself  of  it  yesterday 
afternoon,  and  made  some  extracts  from  books  for  my  transla- 
tion, and  I  am  going  again  this  morning  for  the  same  purpose. 
Last  evening  Mr.  Perkins  and  Mar  Johannan  at  the  Odeon. 
The  bishop  was  not  very  well — quite  embarrassed— and  so  made 
but  a  few  remarks  in  broken  English,  sufficiently  interesting  as 
coming  from  a  foreigner,  with  a  deal  of  scatteration  about  them- 


I02  He7iry  Boynton  Smith. 

Then,  for  the  curiosity  of  the  thing,  I  went  to  the  last  end  of 
an  abolition  meeting  in  Faneuil  Hall — a  political  affair — not  par- 
ticularly edifying. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  religious  feeling  among  the  Unitarians 
now.  Last  week  and  this  they  have  held  meetings  to  see  what  is 
to  be  done.  The  successor  of  Mr.  Ripley,  Coolidge,  has  filled 
his  house,  and  preaches  regeneration,  faith,  and  prayer,  and 
belief  in  Christ  and  the  sinfulness  of  the  heart.  After  the 
sermon,  for  a  minute  or  two,  all  the  congregation  remain  quiet 
in  silent  prayer.  So  it  is,  too,  in  the  new  Society  of  Clarke. 
He  has  introduced  responses,  and  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer  by 
the  whole  people,  and  singing  by  the  congregation  alone,  and 
free  seats  in  church  for  all,  and  prayer-meetings,  and  he  attends 
father  Taylor's  prayer-meetings  too. 

February,  1843. 

Preached  one  Sunday  at  Eoxbury — head  oppressed  while 
preaching.  From  a  short  talk  with  Mr.  Greene  the  other  day  I 
am  led  to  think  that  they  do  not  think  me  quite  the  man  for 
them.  .  .  .  Both  Dr.  Anderson  and  Mr.  Greene  said  that 
the  labors  of  a  pastor  there  would  be  very  arduous,  and  both  of 
them  told  me  what  I  knew  before,  that  I  seemed  to  be  still  quite 
feeble.  I  shall  remain  here  another  week,  waiting  for  a  chance 
to  preach  in  the  neighborhood.  If  it  does  not  then  come  I  think 
I  will  go  to  Andover.     I  think  I  am  improving  in  health. 

Boston,  February  20,  1843. 

Friday  afternoon  I  went  to  see  Mr.  Ripley  [at  Brook  Farm] — 
got  there  about  tea-time,  took  tea  with  some  twenty  or  thirty  on 
rough  wooden  benches — the  fare  good,  though.  About  eight 
o'clock  Mr.  Dana  came  from  Boston  in  the  carryall — all  full  of 
boughten  articles,  in  good  spirits,  and  they  seem  to  be  very 
happy  and  cheerful,  and  revenge  themselves  on  the  laughs  of  the 
world  by  laughing  at  everybody  else. 

They  have,  I  should  think,  a  very  pleasant  society ;  all  seem 
cheerful,  all  have  something  to  do.  There  is  a  great  air  of  inde- 
pendence about  them  all,  and  great  order  too.  ...  I  passed 
the  night  there.     They  have  two  houses,  and  are  building  a 


Years  of  Waiting.  103 

third,  and  they  say  that  all  is  going  on  swimmingly  with  them. 
A  young  Mr.  Dana  is  the  most  interesting  man,  next  to  the  Rip- 
leys — a  very  transccndentalist,  but  earnest  and  feeling.  And 
Mr.  Dunbar  represents  Old  School  Orthodoxy  in  its  hardest 
forms — election,  special  grace,  etc.  .  .  .  They  carried  me 
over  to  Parker's,  where  I  ransacked  his  library,  and  talked  al>out 
science  and  literature  till  half- past  two,  where  the  stage  took  me 
up,  Parker  has  delivered  his  lectures  *  at  Plymouth,  New  Bed- 
ford and  Duxbury,  and  he  means  to  publish  them.  Yesterday  I 
heard  Mr.  Riddel  for  the  Educational  Society— a  well-matured 
sermon ;  Dr.  Vinton  in  the  afternoon,  an  elegant  and  pointed 
discourse  ;  Mr.  Kirk  in  the  evening,  fervent  yet  desultory,  elo- 
quent rather  in  feeling  than  in  expression.  If  he  had  more  the- 
ology and  more  system — if  his  sermons  were  unities,  wholes, 
more  artistical,  he  would  be  a  very  eloquent  preacher.  As  it  is, 
I  prefer  Dr.  Vinton  very  much.  He  will  unquestionably  take 
the  foremost  rank  among  the  preachers  of  this  city.  Just  at 
this  moment  a  letter  from  Goodwin,  enclosing  one  from  Ulrici. 
Ulriciandhis  family  are  in  good  health  and  spirits.  Tholuck 
is  in  good  health,  and  has  English,  Scotch  and  Americans 
attending  his  lectures.  Ulrici  wants  to  know  if  I  have  yet 
received  his  work  on  Shakespeare,  or  published  my  translation  of 
Twesten.  Kahnis  has  gone  to  Berlin  to  attach  himself  more 
closely  to  Hengstenberg.  I  am  right  glad  of  that,  'twill  be  good 
for  both.  Then  he  is  going  to  become  a  private  teacher  in 
Berlin. 

Boston,  March  2,  1842. 

I  have  been  disappointed  in  my  hope  of  getting  employment 
here.  As  to  Roxbury,  I  had  expected  that  they  would  be  will- 
ing to  hear  me,  four  or  five  Sundays  at  least.  I  suppose  they 
thought  I  was  not  strong  enough,  but  if  they  took  interest  in  me 
as  a  preacher  they  would  have  been  willing  to  give  me  a  longer 
trial.  So  I  shall  begin  to  estimate  my  pulpit  talents  at  their 
just  rate,  and  I  never  had  any  great  idea  of  them.  .  .  .  This 
looking  out  for  somewhere  to  preach,  and  asking  people  if  they 

♦Five  loctures,  soon  afterward  published  in  a  volume  entitled  "A  Dis- 
course of  Matters  Pertaining  to  Religion." 


I04  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

do  not  know  where  there  is  an  opportunity,  is  to  me  the  most 
distasteful  business  I  could  be  engaged  in.  I  shrink  back  from 
it  with  a  repugnance  I  cannot  tell  you  of.  I  don't  know  either 
how  to  go  to  Avork  to  do  it.  Mr.  Aiken  and  Mr.  Bliss  and  Mr. 
Greene  and  Dr.  Anderson  all  told  me  that  they  would  tell  me 
when  they  found  a  chance  for  me,  and  I  have  not  had  a  word 
from  any  of  them  since.  I  am  almost  tired  of  waiting.  And 
yet  what  else  can  I  do  ?  .  .  .  This  week  I  have  not  done 
much — have  visited  very  little,  read  at  the  Athenaeum  several 
books  and  periodicals,  and  at  home  ditto  ;  among  them  two  or 
three  novels,  very  profitable  business,  indeed,  but  about  to  the 
extent  of  my  capacity  some  of  these  days.  .  .  .  When  I 
think  of  making  a  call  now  I  ask  myself  :  What  good  will  it  do  ? 
AVhat  can  I  say  to  them  or  they  to  me  that  we  care  about  hear- 
ing ?  Won't  they  be  just  as  well  off  without  as  with  me  ?  Won't 
they  think  me  a  bore  ?  which  questions,  as  you  see,  do  not 
encourage  calling  very  much.  To-morrow  I  think  of  going  to 
Newton  to  see  Prof.  Sears,  and  get  some  books  of  him — some 
German  journals  if  he  has  any — and  to  look  over  his  library,  for 
they  say  he  has  a  fine  collection  of  German  books. 

I  have  read  almost  all  the  numbers  of  Brownson's  Quarterly, 
and  am  interested  and  surprised.  He  is  really  an  extraordinary 
man — an  infidel,  I  think,  in  some  respects,  but  yet  one  of  the 
most  thinking  and  daring  of  men.  He  writes  with  great  vigor, 
great  power  of  illustration  and  argument,  clearness  of  statement, 
often  beauty — sometimes  impetuosity  of  style.  He  is  a  thorough- 
gging  Radical,  in  all  his  feelings  and  reasonings.  He  is  more 
Orthodox  than  almost  any  of  the  Unitarians,  and  yet  a  bolder 
denier  than  any  of  them  ;  at  once  a  theologian  and  a  politician, 
yet  his  theology  is  made  almost  entirely  subservient  to  his  demo- 
cratic tendencies.  He  out-democrats,  too,  all  the  democrats  ;  yet 
he  is,  in  some  respects,  as  conservative  as  any  Whig.  He  Avould 
change  the  whole  of  society  and  yet  he  ridicules  all  reformers 
hitherto.  I  think  I  must  write  a  review  of  him,  one  of  these 
days. 

Boston,  March  10,  1842. 

Last  Friday  I  went  out  to  Newton  to  see  Dr.  Sears,  and  spent 
the  day.     He  was  very  kind  and  cordial.     We  discussed  old 


Years  of  Waiting.  105 

friends,  German  news,  old  books  and  new  ones,  American  pros- 
pects, state  of  theology,  freedom  of  inquiry,  present  tendencies 
and  future  prospects.  He  has  a  fine  library,  and  I  had  a  good 
time.  .  .  .  Tuesday  evening  I  took  tea  and  spent  the  evening 
with  Dr.  Channing.  Dwight  was  there  also.  .  .  .  Dr.  0. 
was  unusually  animated  and  discussed  a  good  many  questions. 
He  is  frank  and  whole-souled, 

Andover,  Marcli  15,  1842. 

Here  I  am  at  the  Mansion  House  on  Seminary  Hill.  I  like 
Andover.  I  have  always  liked  it.  It  is  quiet  and  studious.  I 
find  that  a  good  many  of  the  students  are  looking  for  my  trans- 
lation of  Twesten  with  considerable  interest.  I  wish  it  were 
already  out.* 

Last  evening  several  students  came  in  to  see  me  and  talk  about 
Germany  and  the  Germans.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  that  spirit 
here,  and  Dr.  Woods  hardly  knows  how  to  encounter  it ;  he 
ignores  it  as  much  as  possible.  Dr.  W.  expressed  great  interest 
about  the  Hanover  place,  and  said  that  he  had  said  all  that  he 
could,  but  that  it  was  very  desirable  to  get  into  theii*heads  the 
idea  that  I  was  not  so  sick  as  has  been  reported.  Quite  exag- 
gerated reports  went  the  rounds  here.  Prof.  Park  said  that  he 
had  not  expected  to  see  mc  again. 

Prof.  Stuart  thinks  that  Providence  has  marked  out  for  me 
the  literary  career,  and  that  there  is  enough  to  be  done,  and  that 
I  can  do  it  well,  and  that  I  may  be  able  to  preach  by  the  time  I 
am  thirty  years  old.  I  should  like  this,  if  I  could  really  support 
myself,  but  where  and  how  ?  If  I  could  have  enough  for  a 
decent  livelihood  somewhere,  I  might  make  it  up  to  a  good  live- 
lihood by  translation  of  books  and  articles,  but  the  standing 
place  I  have  not  yet  got. 

Andover,  March  21,  1842. 

"With  Prof.  Park  I  go  to  walk  almost  every  day — long  walks 
and  good  talks — good  long  discussions  about  points  of  theology 
in  which  we  differ  ;  wondering  about  the  nature  and  end  and 
blessings  of  ill  health,  strokes  of  wit  and  anecdotes,  philosophy, 

*  The  series  for  which  this  was  intended  was  given  u]i.  and  his  translation 
of  Twesten  was  published  in  detached  portions  in  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra. 


io6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

mysteries  and  common  sense — in  short,  there  is  quite  enough  to 
talk  about.  I  am  engaged  there  for  every  evening  this  week 
unless  otherwise  engaged,  and  am  going  to  translate  a  German 
book  on  Rhetoric  for  him  an  hour  each  evening.  He  cannot  use 
his  eyes  at  all.  On  some  points  he  is  decidedly  New  School,  on 
others  not  at  all  so,  though  I  think  his  general  tendencies  are 
that  way.  On  Tliursday  I  dined  with  Prof.  Edwards.  I  had 
gone  to  walk  with  Park,  and  in  the  ardor  of  discussion  had  tres- 
passed half  an  hour  beyond  the  time,  quite  forgetting  that  time 
was.  For  a  full  hour  we  debated  the  question  whether  sin  was 
in  the  affections  or  the  choice,  and  neither  convinced  the  other. 
.  ,  .  I  took  tea  with  Prof.  Stuart  last  evening,  and  kept  up  a 
steady  talk  upon  Germany  and  theology,  etc.,  for  four  hours  or 
more.  He  has  a  most  rapacious  mmd  for  all  that  is  knowable. 
Twice  last  week,  two  hours  long  each  time,  we  talked  in  the 
same  way.  Yesterday  we  took  a  walk  after  meeting  by  the  byways 
and  roads  to  a  beautiful  little  pond, — Pomp's  pond,  they  call  it, 
and  then  back  to  the  house.  Mr.  Stuart  is  very  feeble  this 
winter. 

PoKTSMOUTH,  April  4,  1842. 

The  revival  in  Boston  still  continues  to  increase,  and  m  all  the 
towns  around.  What  mother  tells  me  of  Saccarappa  is  indeed 
most  joyful  news,  for  which  I  was  not  at  all  prepared.  The  hand 
of  the  Lord  is  most  manifest  in  thus  taking  all  the  young  men 
and  leading  them  into  his  service.  In  Boston,  in  Salem  Street 
Church  alone,  a  hundred  and  tenjiersons  are  to  be  admitted  next 
communion  day,  and  so  in  several  others,  many  more.  Every 
body  there  says  they  have  never  known  such  a  glorious  season. 
.  .  .  I  stayed  in  Andover  till  Tuesday  noon.  Prof.  Stuart 
wants  me  to  come  and  spend  the  summer,  and  teach  the  stu- 
dents German,  and  translate,  etc.,  in  preference  to  preaching. 
Br.  Woods  wished  me  all  kinds  of  prosperity  ;  advised  me  to 
Avrite  short  sermons,  as  the  best  way  of  getting  in.  .  .  . 
Park  wants  me  to  come  and  stay  a  few  weeks  with  him  before  he 
leaves  for  Europe,  work  in  his  garden  for  my  health,  and  discuss 
all  sorts  of  things.  I  have  become  very  much  interested,  too,  in 
several  of  the  students,  who  seem  to  have  quite  a  German  as  well 
as  orthodox  tendency  ;  enthusiastic  men,  who  will  become  some- 
thing ere  their  sun  sets. 


Years  of  Watting.  107 

After  this  he  made  a  fruitless  effort  to  obtain  a  place 
as  an  assistant  teacher  in  a  seminary  for  young  ladies. 
In  the  summer  he  preached  for  two  Sundays  at  Norwich, 
Connecticut,  and  thence  went  to  New  York,  chiefly  for 
the  purpose  of  consulting  Rev.  Prof.  Robinson  in  regard 
to  his  future.  Thus  the  summer  passed,  and  no  door 
was  opened  to  him. 

In  October,  1842,  he  wrote  from  Saccarappa  in  great 
depression  : 

The  future,  so  dark  and  uncertain,  no  place  in  prospect,  the 
doubt  whether  I  can  ever  be  settled  anywhere,  the  necessity  to 
my  peace  of  mind  of  some  quiet  sphere  of  duties,  the  long  de- 
lay, the  harrassing  anxiety.  .  .  .  Altogether,  I  sometimes 
feel  wretched.    May  God  forgive  me  for  this  doubt  and  repining  I 

Not  many  days  after  this,  he  received  an  invitation  to 
preach  at  West  Amesbury ,  *  Massachusetts.  He  accepted 
it,  and  went  once  more  to  try  his  strength,  and,  if  it 
might  be,  find  settled  work  to  do.  The  village  was 
small  and  retired,  lying  half  way  between  the  two  rail- 
roads which  connect  Boston  and  Portland ;  the  people 
were,  for  the  most  part,  intelligent,  well-to-do  farmers 
and  mechanics.  They  heard  him  gladly,  and  after  a  few 
weeks,  invited  him,  with  entire  unanimity,  to  be  their 
pastor. 

*  Now  called  Merrimac. 


io8  Henry  Boynton  Smith* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WEST  AMESBURY. — 1843-1847. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Allen  : 

West  Amesburv,  December  14,  1842. 

My  dear  Sir  :  Yesterday  afternoon  the  Congregational  Soci- 
ety of  this  place  concurred  unanimously  with  a  previous  vote  of 
the  church  to  invite  me  to  become  their  pastor,  with  a  salary  of 
f  500,  the  use  of  the  parsonage,  and  a  wood-lot  to  "•  supply  the 
minister's  fire."  They  also  voted  to  repair  the  parsonage  at  an 
expense  not  exceeding  ^125,  and  expressed  themselves  favorably 
to  my  having  a  vacation  of  three  or  four  weeks  .some  time  in  the 
year,  during  which  they  would  supply  the  pulpit.  The  place  is 
considered  quite  an  eligible  one  for  a  minister.  It  is  a  generous 
people.  They  are  now  entirely  united.  The  call  to  me,  also, 
has  been  given  with  such  unanimity,  and  all  my  propositions 
have  been  so  generously  acceded  to,  that  I  have  determined  to 
accept  the  invitation.  My  health  is  now,  I  trust,  adequate  to 
the  assumption  of  all  the  duties  that  may  devolve  upon  me  in 
such  a  connection ;  and  the  grace  which  I  still  more  need  I  pray 
to  God  to  grant  me,  so  that  I  may  be  faithful  in  my  Master's 
service. 

The  committee  thought  that  if  I  should  accept  their  proposal 
there  need  be  no  delay  in  proceeding  to  the  ordination  and  in- 
stallation. Thursday,  the  29th  of  the  present  month,  was  men- 
tioned as  a  suitable  time.  If  it  would  suit  your  inclination  and 
convenience,  there  is  no  one  whom  I  should  so  much  desire  to 
be  the  preacher  of  my  ordination  sermon  as  yourself.  May  we 
not  depend  upon  the  gratification  of  hearing  you  at  that  time  ? 
I  have  also  thought  that  it  might  be  pleasant  to  yourself  to  meet 
with  the  ministers  of  this  region,  with  some  of  whom,  I  believe, 
you  are  personally  acquainted.  They  say  that  **  Essex  North  "  is 
the  best  association  in  the  State. 


West  Amesbury.  109 

At  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Smith,  which  took  place  on 
Thursday,  December  29,  1842,  an  unusually  large  coun- 
cil of  ministers  and  laymen  assembled  at  West  Ames- 
bury. 

The  venerable  Dr.  Withington,  of  Newburyport, 
writes : 

"  I  was  present  in  tlie  council  for  his  ordination,  and  heard 
his  examination  before  them.  There  was  a  prestige  about  him, 
very  remarkable.  His  thoughts  were  so  very  clear,  and  he  was 
so  perfectly  prepared,  that  the  examination  seemed  almost  a 
superfluity.  It  seemed  rather  doubtful  whether  he  was  before 
the  council  or  the  council  before  him.  The  eye  of  the  spec- 
tator was  turned  to  the  socket  in  the  direction  where  the 
clearest  light  shone.  We  have  often  mentioned,  I  believe,  that 
when  a  blind  question  was  put  to  him,  he  would  give  it  a 
conditional  meaning:  ^ If  you  mean  so-and-so,  tlien,^ — in 
order  to  turn  a  precise  answer.  It  must  be  allowed  that  he 
had  had  great  advantages,  but  who  could  have  improved  them 
better  ?  " 

Rev.  John  Pike,  D.D.,  of  Rowley,  Massachusetts, 
writes  thus,  in  similar  words  : 

"  The  day  of  his  ordination  was  remarkable,  distinguished 
from  other  occasions  of  the  kind  by  the  peculiar  character  and 
appearance  of  the  candidate.  It  was  at  once  evident  that  the 
clearest  head  was  the  one  we  were  examining.  There  was  no 
need  of  restraining  questions  lest  we  should  trouble  and  confuse, 
nor  of  multiplying  them  because  the  lines  of  Scripture  truth 
were  not  rapidly  and  clearly  drawn.  If  the  question  was  in  any 
degree  blind,  it  was  sure  to  be  replied  to  in  the  modified  form  : 
*  If  you  mean  this,  I  answer  in  this  Avay,  but  if  you  mean  that,  I 
answer  in  another  way  ; '  and  if  the  great  philosophical  inquiries 
which  divided  New-England  theologians  were  started,  he  replied 
by  stating  clearly  the  issue,  and  ranging  the  difficulties  on  both 
sides,  and  then  saying  to  which  his  own  mind  and  heart  inclined. 
This  luminous  answering  left  no  doubt  upon  the  minds  of  the 


no  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

council  tliat  the  candidate  knew  what  he  believed,  and  was  able 
to  express  in  the  best  form  his  faith,  and  that  both  the  faith  and 
the  manner  of  its  expression  were  such  as  to  feed  the  church  of 
God,  and  to  quicken  the  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  to  a  life 
that  is  immortal  and  glorious. " 


West  Amesbury,  December  29,  1842. 
Mt  dearest  Mother  :  I  am  now  a  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
set  apart  by  the  most  solemn  rites  and  vows,  and  to  you  first  of 
all,  I  write  in  this  new  capacity,  for  you,  first  of  all  and  most  of 
all,  have  wished  and  labored  that  I  might  attain  unto  this  call- 
ing. I  bless  God  that  He  has  permitted  me,  through  His  infi- 
nite grace,  to  become  a  dispenser  of  His  word.  I  only  feel  now 
that  the  responsibilities  are  too  onerous,  and  the  grace  needed 
greater  than  I  possess.  But  I  pray  the  Lord  to  bless  me  and  this 
people,  who  are  now  my  people,  my  flock. 

Of  all  the  ordination,  examination  and  parts,  father  will  tell 
you.  I  am  rejoiced  that  he  came,  but  sorry  that  you  could 
not.  I  missed  you  all  the  time  ;  I  wanted  you  here.  But  I  knew 
that  I  had  tlie  support  of  your  prayers,  the  same  prayers  which 
I  believe  have  been  a  chief  means,  through  God's  grace,  in 
bringing  me  into  the  church  of  Christ. 

I  would  that  I  could  tell  you  all  I  feel  of  thankfulness  and  of 
joy  for  your  love  through  so  many  years,  and  in  such  times.  I 
feel  now,  to  the  full,  the  whole  amount  of  my  indebtedness  to 
you  for  all  your  love  and  all  your  training.  Your  influence  has 
been  greater,  perhaps,  than  I  have  always  been  ready  to  acknowl- 
edge ;  greater,  probably,  than  I  even  now  can  estimate.  Though 
about  to  leave  my  home  in  order  to  found  one,  yet  it  will  always 
be  home  to  me,  and  the  duty  and  love  of  a  son  shall  never  fail 
to  you.  Dr.  Allen  is  preaching  to  my  people  this  evening.  I 
was  too  tired  to  go.  The  excitement  of  to-day  has  been  most 
intense,  spiritual  and  bodily.  Therefor:,  I  must  now  close  this 
most  hasty  sheet,  yet  not  written  in  vain  if  it  assures  you  of  the 
constant  and  increasing  love  and  honor  of  your  most  affectionate 
son,  Henry. 

The  vow  of  ordination  was  soon  followed  by  the  vow 


Wcs^  Amesbuiy.  iii 

of  marriage.  The  wife  of  Henry  Boynton  Smith  was 
Elizabeth  Lee,  daughter  of  Rev.  William  Allen,  D.D., 
formerly  president  of  Bowdoin  College. 

After  all  the  years  of  preparation  and  waiting,  he  had 
now  come  into  his  "desired  haven,"  a  definite  sphere 
of  labor  in  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  This  was,  in 
his  view,  the  highest  of  vocations  ;  it  had  been  the  ob- 
ject of  his  strongest  desire,  and  he  entered  into  it  with 
an  undivided  and  a  joyful  heart. 

Student  as  he  was,  he  was  not  without  some  special 
fitness  for  the  life  of  a  jiastor.  In  direct  personal  efforts 
for  the  spiritual  good  of  his  people,  his  glowing  love  for 
Christ  constrained  him.  He  truly  cared  for  their  souls, 
in  their  deepest  needs,  and  strove  to  show  them  in  all 
aspects,  and  by  all  methods,  "what  we  are  without 
Christ,  and  what  we  can  be  with  Him."  Into  his  sim- 
ple, direct  and  most  earnest  sermons  he  brought  the 
results  of  his  varied  preparation.  His  preaching  made, 
perhaps,  the  deeper  impression,  from  the  too-evident 
weakness  in  which  he  spoke  his  words  of  power.  For 
many  months,  as  he  afterward  confessed,  he  never  went 
into  his  pulpit  without  the  dread  of  breaking  down 
during  the  services.     But  the  strong  will  conquered. 

He  gave  special  care  to  the  religious  training  of  the 
children  of  his  congregation,  always  laying  stress  upon 
the  tenet  that  the  baptized  children  of  the  Church  belong 
to  the  Church,  and  ought  to  be  educated  for  it. 

In  his  visits  to  the  homes  of  his  people,  his  love  for 
children,  his  deference  to  age,  his  quick  sympathy  for 
infirmity  and  sorrow,  together  with  his  boyish  simpli- 
city of  manner,  removed  the  barrier  of  reserve,  and 
brought  him  near  to  their  hearts.  The  tie  which  bound 
him  to  them  became  unusually  close  and  strong.  On 
their  part,  they  regarded  him  with  warm  affection  and  a 
degree  of  pride,  while  they  seemed  to  feel  a  tender,  pro- 
tecting care  of  him. 

His  efforts  and  influence  were  not  confined  to  their 


112  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

spiritual  needs.  "Whatsoever  gift  or  grace  was  in 
him"  was  at  their  service.  For  their  sakes  he  became 
a  more  practical  man.  He  aimed  at  the  external  im- 
provement of  the  village,  and  led  the  way  in  setting  out 
trees  in  the  cemetery,  and  around  the  church  and  par- 
sonage. Year  after  year,  he  taught  classes  of  the  young 
people  in  French  and  German,  and  gave  instructive 
lectures  before  the  village  lyceum.  He  was  an  active 
member  of  the  school  committee  of  the  town,  on  which 
Mr.  John  G.  Whittier,  the  poet,  was  his  esteemed  co- 
worker. 

Rev.  Edward  A.  Lawrence,  D.D.,  who  was  his  nearest 
ministerial  neighbor,  writes : 

"The  affections  of  his  people  were  drawn  to  him  by  his  social 
nature  ;  and  his  evident  honesty  of  purpose  and  purity  of  char- 
acter secured  for  him  their  entire  confidence.  They  said  of  him  : 
'  He  is  a  true  man.'  They  came  to  hear  him  preach,  and  they 
hstened  because  they  knew  he  could  instruct  them  in  what  was 
of  infinite  moment,  and  because  they  liked  him  out  of  the  pul- 
pit as  well  in  it.  ,  .  .  Prof.  Smith's  short  pastorate  in  that 
country  parish  was  a  blessing  to  the  people,  the  influence  of 
which  will  never  cease  ;  and  it  was  the  open  door  to  his  lifework 
of  ever-extending  usefulness. 

"  His  qualifications  for  the  work  of  the  ministry  were  as  pecu- 
liar as  they  afterward  proved  to  be  for  teaching  history,  philoso- 
phy and  theology.  His  experience  as  the  pastor  of  that  little 
rural  church  seems  to  have  opened  up  to  him  more  fully  the 
idea  and  scope  of  all  history,  God  governing  and  redeeming  the 
world.  In  seeking  to  adapt  the  truths  of  the  Bible  to  the  con- 
ditions of  sinful  men,  he  found  himself  studying  problems  in 
the  philosophy  of  religion  and  theology. 

"As  a  ministerial  neighbor  he  was  genial,  and  his  society  was 
stimulating  and  suggestive.  He  seemed  to  grasp  knowledge  by 
intuition ;  what  he  needed  in  conversation  was  always  at  hand, 
just  when  he  wanted  it." 


Wes^  A  mcsbiLi'y.  1 1 3 

To  Mr.  G.  L.  Prentiss  : 

West  Amesbuijt,  May  22,  1843. 

Mt  very  deae  Feiend  :  I  will  not  go  througli  a  list  of 
apologies,  for  that  would  keep  me  from  saying  what  I  like  to 
say  much  more  ;  and  apologies,  whether  Christian  or  profane, 
are  my  dread — always  excepting  Sack's  Apologeiih.  Let  me 
see ;  it  was  in  December  you  were  here,  and  the  place  and  my- 
self have  changed  very  much  since  then.  I  think  I  am  healthier 
in  mind  and  body  than  I  have  been  for  a  long,  long  time.  The 
"goading  of  the  irritated  nerve  "  is  passing  away.  I  look  at  life 
more  clearly  and  more  cheerfully,  and  the  future  life  appears  more 
as  a  completion  of  what  is  begun  than  as  a  contrast  to  what  is. 
I  am  trying  to  realize  some  of  my  ideals,  to  seduce  them  from 
the  imaginary  world,  and  give  them  shape  and  substance  in  my 
daily  life.  And  not  less  true  nor  less  beautiful  do  they  seem, 
when  they  are  gilding  and  giving  a  soul  to  what  is  trivial  and 
commonplace  ;  rather  do  they  seem  to  be  fulfilling  their  desti- 
nies. 

Ordination,  marriage,  a  people,  a  house,  a  home, — all  these 
things  have  come  to  me,  and  mark  the  era  of  my  great  change. 
I  know  what  I  have  longed  to  know,  what  repose  is,  what  it  is 
to  have  a  sphere  into  which  one's  soul  might  "sich  hinein- 
leben,"  a  home  where  all  is  consecrated  by  affection,  and  daily 
duties  become  daily  joys.  Some  of  the  deepest  of  religious  joys 
we  know  not  till  we  find  religion  binding  us  in  a  home  of  our 
own,  and  so  making  that  home  a  foretaste  of  undying  union. 

My  people  are  not  rich,  not  cultivated,  but  they  are  kind. 
It  is  good,  yea,  pleasant,  to  live  among  them — to  talk  with  them 
of  the  highest  themes  which  are  alike  to  all  hearts.  They 
understand  not  my  philosophy,  nor  my  German ;  they  care  not 
for  critical  discussions  in  Hebrew  and  Greek  ;  but  sin  and  death, 
regeneration  and  a  Saviour,  these  they  care  for;  and  are  not 
these  the  greater  ?  In  such  a  field,  I  am  glad  to  test  my  specu- 
lations.    It  is  doing  mind  and  heart  good. 

And  what  shall  I  tell  you  of  my  own  happy  home  ?  My  strong 
wish  is  that  you  may  know  what  it  is,  by  having  one  like  it ;  for 
only  thus  can  you  know.  The  house  has  been  altered.  I  have 
a  nice  study,  all  my  books  round  me  ;  all  within  is  pleasant  and 
comfortable  ;  and,  out  of  doors,  my  garden,  the  fields,  the  hills, 
8 


114  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

the  woods,  now  so  beautiful.  To-day  there  has  been  a  shower 
upon  them,  and  they  all  rejoice.  I  have  been  planting  a  gar- 
den, and  find  health  there,  and  setting  out  trees,  to  give  shade 
and  beauty  to  others.  And  preaching,  too,  I  begin  to  love  right 
well.  It  grows  in  its  attractions.  I  feel  as  if  I  might  get  near 
to  the  hearts  of  men,  and  speak  in  the  heart's  tone,  and  call 
them  to  hear  the  inward  voice,  which  they  drown,  ''as  the 
nurses  of  Jupiter  tried  to  drown  the  voice  of  the  god  by  their 
clamor." 

In  1843  he  delivered  the  annual  commencement  ad- 
dress before  the  Athenian  Society  of  Bowdoin  College. 
The  subject  of  this  address,  which  was  never  published, 
was  "The  Character  and  Mission  of  the  American 
Scholar,"  considered  in  his  relations  to  society  and  to 
the  progress  of  truth  and  philosophy.  It  was,  in  some 
sense,  the  germ  of  his  Andover  address,  six  years  later, 
on  the  "  Relations  of  Faith  and  Philosophy.''  From  a 
long  notice  of  this  "  every- way  remarkable  production," 
written  by  Prof.  D.  R.  Goodwin,  for  the  Portland  Ad- 
vertiser,  the  following  detached  passages  are  quoted : 

'•'  The  orator  entered  into  a  singularly  eloquent  and  powerful 
defense  of  classical  studies  and  literature,  against  the  encroach- 
ments and  claims  of  modern  languages  and  modern  physical  sci- 
ences." 

"The  problem  for  the  true  scholar  is  to  join  in  harmonious, 
vital  union  the  past  and  the  present,  faith  and  philosophy." 

"  In  like  manner  it  was  shown  that  so  far  from  the  purest  and 
proloundest  faith  excluding  or  reprobating  philosophy,  it  is  only 
men  of  shallow  faith  that  construct  shallow  systems  ;  it  is  only 
men  of  shallow  faith  that  fear  the  progress  of  philosophy  or  re- 
sist its  claims.  The  Germans,  who  endeavor  to  understand  what 
they  believe,  are  not  to  be  confounded  with  certain  English  phil- 
osophers who  believe  only  what  they  can  understand." 

*'0n  the  other  hand,  philosophy  does  not  exclude  faith  ;  but 
in  its  highest  form  it  pre-supposes  and  demands  it.  Hegel,  the 
last  if  not  the  greatest  of  German  philosophers,  was  compelled 
by  the  necessities  of  a  stern  and  iron  logic  to  recognize  and  assert 


West  Amesbuiy.  115 

the  revelation  of  tlie  Deity  in  Humanity  in  the  Person  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Even  Pantheism  is  made  to  bear  implicit  tliougli  reluc- 
tant testimony  to  the  truth  of  Christianity.  And  here  we  wish 
we  could  quote  entire  one  of  the  finest  bursts  of  eloquence  we 
remembei"  ever  to  have  heard.  But  we  give  only  a  meager  out- 
line. The  orator — his  heart  warmed  by  the  mention  of  Jesus 
Christ — called  by  name  on  the  greatest  martyrs,  saints  and 
heroes  of  the  last  two  thousand  years,  on  the  greatest  emperors 
and  popes,  the  greatest  poets  and  philosophers,  on  all  Avho  have 
suffered  and  been  consoled,  on  all  who  have  sinned  and  been 
forgiven,  to  testify  what  name  was  the  center  of  their  aspira- 
tions and  their  hopes ;  and  with  one  consent  their  multitudi- 
nous voices,  whether  with  heart  or  lip,  reply,  'the  name  of 
Jesus.'  Here  all  antagonisms  are  reconciled,  and  the  great  cen- 
tral truth  is  revealed.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  scholar,  amidst  all 
the  strife  of  passion  and  of  prejudice,  of  blind  faith  and  blinder 
reason,  to  preserve  a  calm  and  even  mind,  to  study  and  appre- 
ciate the  conflicting  systems,  to  avoid  exclusiveness  and  bigotry 
on  either  side,  to  cherish  generous  sentiments  and  liberal  views 
together  with  stern  and  rigid  principles." 

A  few  Weeks  later  Mr.  Smith  wrote  to  Dr.  Allen  : 

I  received  yesterday  a  letter  from  President  Humphrey, 
announcing  my  election  to  the  Professorship  of  Rhetoric  in  Am- 
herst College.  It  was  to  me  most  unexpected  tidings.  Dr.  H. 
mentioned  that  they  would  wish  me  to  give  instruction  in  the 
modern  languages.  The  further  details  in  regard  to  the  post  he 
referred  to  a  personal  conference.  There  are  certainly  some  con- 
siderations which  would  make  such  a  place  as  Amherst  a  most 
congenial  one  to  us.  Yet  it  is  only  with  pain  that  1  can  think 
of  a  separation  from  my  church  and  society.  I  now  know  them 
all,  the  spiritual  state  of  nearly  every  one,  and  I  am  now  in  a 
much  better  state  to  preach  to  their  advantage  than  when  they 
first  called  me  here.  I  like  not  the  seeming  to  be  ungrateful.  I* 
like  not  the  apparant  \uant  of  principle  in  so  speedy  a  rupture  of 
such  close  and  solemn  ties. 

I  must  make  the  whole  question,  so  far  as  possible,  a  question 
of  duty,  and,  without  question,  my  first  duty  is  to  my  own  peo- 


1 1 6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

pie.  And,  besides,  here  I  have  gained  health  and  strength,  in 
the  direct  service  of  my  Master.  I  had  hoped,  at  the  least,  to 
spend  several  years  in  such  quiet,  unobtrusive  labors.  And  I 
feel  that  my  heart  and  mind  have  both  been  benefited  by  the 
duties  which  I  have  here  been  trying  to  perform. 

The  impulse  of  my  heart  and  the  dictates  both  of  judgment 
and  duty  prompt  me  to  come  to  you  for  advice.  We  shall  await 
your  answer  with  anxiety. 

Some  weeks  later  lie  wrote  : 

I  have  consulted  several  friends,  both  of  myself  and  the  col- 
lege, since  Dr.  H.  was  here.  The  advice  as  to  going  or  staying 
is  about  equally  divided.  Dr.  Woods,  u]3on  the  whole,  thinks  it 
would,  perhaps,  be  well  for  me  to  go  ;  though  somewhat  doubt- 
ful. Prof.  Edwards  of  Andover,  urges  my  going  strenuously  ; 
as  does  Mr.  Banister  of  Newburyport,  who  is  a  member  of  the 
board.  .  .  .  And,  meauAvhile,  the  greater  my  doubt  the 
greater  need  of  good  counsel.  And  there  is  none  that  I  should 
more  desire,  none  to  which  I  should  give  greater  heed,  than  your 
own. 


To  the  same : 

West  Amesbuby,  Nov.  23,  1843. 

My  deae  Father  :  I  do  not  want  to  write  you  this  letter, 
because  I  feel  quite  sure  that  the  fact  that  I  have  at  length 
declined  the  Amherst  Professorship  will  be  somewhat  unexpected 
by  you,  and  somewhat  unwelcome.  And  if  there  had  been  a 
fair  balance  of  other  considerations,  I  should  certainly  and  most 
justly  have  permitted  the  vicinity  of  Amherst  to  Northampton 
to  be  the  deciding  weight  in  favor  of  acceptance.  We  would 
have  followed  the  promptings  of  our  hearts  and  come  as  near  to 
you  as  Providence  would  permit,  did  we  not  feel  a  most  delib- 
erate conviction  that  the  highest  duty  keeps  us  here. 

I  thank  you  most  heartily  for  your  most  kind  and  weighty 
letters.  I  thank  you  for  those  most  generous  proposals,  which 
not  even  your  past  generosity  woufd  have  led  me  to  expect. 
Your  arguments  almost  convinced  me.     For  a  week  I  thought  I 


IVes^  Amesbury.  117 

must  accept,  but  I  have  to-day  written  to  Dr.  Humphrey  my 
refusal  of  his  offer  ;  and  the  only  deep  regret  left  in  this  refusal 
is,  that  it  keeps  iis  still  so  far  from  home.  My  reasons  for  my  final 
decision  may  be  compressed  into  a  few.  My  main  studies  have 
been  theological  and  philosophical,  not  literary.  I  should 
change  the  whole  bent  of  my  providential  training  by  devoting 
the  larger  part  of  my  time  to  rhetorical  exercises  ;  while  in 
parish  and  pulpit  I  find  a  not  unfitting  application  of  the  results 
of  my  studies.  I  am  not  specially  fitted  for  rhetoric  ;  have  not 
the  training,  the  command  of  voice,  the  outward  manner.  I 
think  the  post  honorable  and  important,  but  a  man  must  go  to 
it  with  his  whole  heart,  be  a  rhetorical  professor,  make  literature 
his  study,  solace  and  delight.  I  cannot.  I  should  not  be  con- 
tent with  mediocrity :  I  could  not  attain  eminence  in  that 
department. 

My  first  duty  is  to  stay  here.  I  am  not  able  to  see  that  it  does 
not  remain  my  duty  still.  My  people  could  be  supplied ;  so  can 
Amherst,  and  only  one  poor  year  have  I  fed  the  flock  over  which 
I  have  been  appointed  bishop.  Perhaps  they  would  not  impugn 
my  motives,  but  I  should  suspect  them. 

I  do  not  think  I  was  meant  for  a  rhetorical  professor.  Each 
man  owes  a  duty  to  his  own  individuality,  however  insignificant 
he  be  in  himself.  If  I  am  worth  anything  it  is  not  as  a  rheto- 
rician, and  I  have  not  been  unsuccessful  as  a  parish  minister. 
Two  years  ago  I  would  have  accepted  such  an  appointment ; 
now,  I  do  not  think  that  such  an  appointment  from  any  college 
would  induce  me  to  leave  West  Amesbury. 

Yet  I  do  not  deny  that  I  may  be  fitted,  in  some  respects,  for 
a  college  life.  I  shall  probably  never  have  health  or  strength  to 
do  very  much,  but  I  certainly  may  do  more  in  the  natural  course 
of  my  studies  and  predilections  than  in  any  great  change  to 
another  sphere.  I  feel  to  the  full  the  honor  done  me,  and  am 
grateful,  and  truly  sorry  that  I  cannot  accept ;  but  I  am  getting 
to  be  less  and  less  desirous  of  the  advantages  of  a  mere  external 
position,  more  content  to  let  providence  work  its  will. 

I  decline,  because  I  am  too  proud  to  leave  a  place  where  I  am 
contented  and  respected,  for  one  where  the  very  eminence  of  the 
position  would  only  make  mediocrity  a  crime. 


1 1 8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

To  his  friend  Mr.  Prentiss,  he  writes,  under  date  of 
March  4,  1844 : 

.  ,  .  Here  at  home  we  are  right  well  in  our  quiet  parson- 
age. Yesterday  Baby  was  transferred  from  a  state  of  nature  to  a 
state  of  conditionally  covenanted  grace  ;  and  behaved  very  well 
upon  the  occasion — looking  straight  up  into  her  father's  eyes, 
while  he  administered  Holy  Baptism.  It  was  beautiful  and 
fitting.  I  could  almost  believe  in  a  direct  communication  of 
grace  to  the  unconscious  babe.  I  certainly  do  believe  in  it  as  a 
vehicle  of  grace — whether  the  exact  character  of  the  grace  may 
be  defined  or  not.  I  believe  that  the  wild  olive  branch  has  been 
grafted  into  the  true  vine.  And  it  is  delightful  thus  to  give 
back  to  God,  in  a  divinely  appointed  ordinance,  what  God  has 
given  to  us ;  and  to  feel  that  the  dear  child  has  been  consecrated 
to  Christ,  not  only  in  wish  and  in  prayer,  but  also  by  a  rite — a 
sacrament — a  seal  of  the  covenant. 

.  .  .  That  said  Andover  Revieiv,  edited  by  Edwards  and 
Park,  they  mean  to  make  something  of.  The  first  number  con- 
tains good  articles.  I  translated  one  piece  of  Harless  on  the 
Structure  of  Matthew's  Gospel,  which  is  excellent ;  one  short 
essay  on  666  by  Benary,  which  is  capital.  They  mean  to  have 
it  a  learned  review — not  popular. 

He  had  previously  written  to  Dr.  Allen  : 

The  most  important  news  is  the  starting  of  the  new  Andover 
Review ;  important  to  me,  for  I  have  been  asked  to  write  for 
every  number. 

To  his  parents : 

West  Amesbury,  October  23,  '44. 

Our  house  is  quite  pleasant  all  over,  with  three  young  people, 
and  none  of  us  very  old.  But  the  most  important  event  was  a 
donation  visit  from  the  whole  parish,  which  came  off  last  week 
Thursday.  On  the  morning  of  the  day,  wagons  with  cheese,  but- 
ter, flour,  apples,  etc.,  began  to  come  in,  and  in  the  afternoon 
the  people  began  to  come — the  older  ones  first — and  toward 
evening,  the  young  men  and  women.     I  can  assure  you,  we  had 


West  Amesbtiry.  iig 

a  house  full,  not  less  than  two  hundred,  although  it  rained  in 
the  evening.  The  stove  was  taken  down  in  the  kitchen,  and 
three  long  tables  spread  out  and  piled  with  the  good  things ; 
three  successive  times  they  were  filled,  and  all  the  people  filled 
too  ;  cake  by  the  bushel,  pies  by  the  dozen,  tarts  countless,  etc., 
etc.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  time,  and  everybody  seemed  to 
enjoy  themselves.  An  address  was  made  to  me  in  the  evening 
by  Mr.  Patten,  on  the  part  of  the  society,  to  which  I  replied. 
There  was  singing  several  times,  and  a  prayer.  Mr.  Patten 
handed  me  in  a  letter,  in  the  course  of  the  address,  a  present 
from  the  young  men.  The  house  was  full — all  the  rooms  open, 
and  somebody  cveryAvhere.  The  most  of  the  work  was  done  by 
the  visitors.  Besides  the  money,  there  were  three  barrels  of 
flour,  nearly  forty  pounds  of  cheese,  more  than  twenty  of  butter  ; 
a  dozen  or  more  large  loaves  of  cake  left ;  ten  barrels  of  nice  apples 
and  a  good  many  smaller  articles,  tea,  etc.  Altogether  it  was  a 
very  gratifying  party,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  gifts  all 
came  from  their  hearts.  I  preached  a  sermon  about  it  last  Sun- 
day. Well,  on  Saturday  afternoon  we  sent  for  all  the  children 
round  here,  whether  in  our  society  or  not,  and  they  came  from 
all  the  districts  of  the  parish — about  one  hundred  and  thirty  in 
all,  and  some  young  ladies  came  to  help  us,  and  the  children  all 
had  a  piece  of  cake  and  an  apple  apiece,  and  they  played  all 
round  the  house  and  in  the  field,  barn-chamber,  study,  etc.,  and 
they  sang  a  good  deal  and  very  well,  and  behaved  very  well 
indeed.  I  doubt  whether  any  one  hundred  and  thirty  children 
would  behave  better.  At  5  o'clock  they  all  went  home  again. 
And  we  were  all  pretty  much  tired  out ;  though  it  was  pleasant  to 
be  fatigued  in  so  good  a  cause.  And  so  ended  the  eventful  week. 
Next  week  we  have  the  Association  of  Ministers. 

In  1845  lie  gave  the  address  before  the  Rhetorical  So- 
ciety of  the  Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  his  snbject 
being,  "  The  Pulpit  and  the  Qnalifications  of  the 
Preacher  ;  "  these  are,  1.  A  comprehensive  theology  ; 
2.  An  elevated  rhetoric  ;   3.  A  spiritual  faith. 

He  was  invited  to  take  the  instruction  in  Hebrew  to 
the  junior  class,   in  Andover    Theological    Seminary, 


I20  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

during  the  winter  term  of  1845-6,  in  the  absence  of  Pro- 
fessor B.  B.  Edwards.  He  accepted  the  appointment, 
and,  from  October  to  February,  he  went  regularly  to 
Andover  on  Monday  morning,  sometimes  breaking  the 
road  through  the  snow  to  Haverhill ;  and,  returning  on 
Thursday,  tilled  up  the  end  of  the  week  with  re- 
doubled parish  work.  His  j)arishioners  generously  con- 
sented to  this  arrangement.  "  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
talk  about  it  among  his  people,"  said  one  of  them  to  a 
gentleman  in  another  town.  ' '  Is  there  any  dissatisfac- 
tion expressed  T'  "No  ;  why,  they  worship  the  man." 
He  belonged  at  this  time  to  a  classical  club,  composed 
of  clergymen  in  the  neighboring  towns,  which  met  in 
turn  at  the  houses  of  its  members — Messrs.  Withington, 
Stearns,  Durant,  Munroe,  Noyes,  etc.  At  Andover,  too, 
there  were  a  Theological  and  a  Metaphysical  club,  which 
were  of  interest  to  him. 

*'He  was,"  writes  the  Eev.  Dr.  Witliington  of  Newburyport, 
"  an  invaluable  member  of  our  association  for  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures.  ...  It  was  impossible  for  one  who  had  been 
Stuart's  pupil  and  Smith's  companion  in  this  work  [Exegesis] 
not  to  compare  them  together.  .  .  .  Stuart  was  a  bird  that 
sang  the  most  original  song,  and  often  startled  you  with  his  novel 
views,  but  when  he  alighted  among  gi-een  leaves  and  blossoms, 
no  one  could  tell  how  long  he  would  sit  there.  ...  A  dis- 
covery was  to  Stuart  a  globe  of  light — a  single  thing.  To  Smith 
it  was  a  link  in  a  chain,  and,  as  it  had  been  examined  with  care 
and  adopted  with  deliberation,  it  was  likely  always  to  remain. 
He  was  as  progressive  as  Stuart,  but  with  greater  judgment  and 
deliberation. 

"  He  had  some  peculiarities  which  I  thought  I  saw,  and  cer- 
tainly shall  never  forget.  lie  was  a  suggestive  man,  and  would 
sometimes  indicate  an  expression  which  he  did  not  try  to  ex- 
press. It  was  like  a  rock  in  the  rapids,  whose  shape  and  edges 
you  could  not  see,  though  its  influence  curled  on  the  surface. 
To  show  all  his  feelings  he  did  not  always  use  his  tongue.  He 
had  the  most  peculiar  way  of  contradicting  you  that  I  ever  saw. 


IVes^  Amesbury.  121 

lie  seemed  to  assent  at  first,  and  the  contradiction  seemed  a  sec- 
ond thought,  and,  after  all,  he  was  the  sincerest  man  I  ever 
knew.  lie  never  closed  the  conversation  without  giving  you  his 
whole  mind." 


To  Rev.  Benjamin  Tappan,  Jr. : 

West  Amesbury,  March  14,  1845. 

.  .  .  I  wonder  if  other  pastors  feel  their  own  unworthiness 
and  insufficiency  the  most  deeply,  when  they  are  earnestly  striv- 
ing in  personal  and  direct  efforts  to  bring  any  of  their  people  to 
repentance,  and  when  endeavoring  to  give  the  right  guidance  to 
those  who  begin  to  think  upon  their  ways  and  to  turn  to  the 
Lord.  If  it  was  not  God's  work  in  distinction  from  man's  work, 
and  even  from  man's  proclamation  of  God's  word,  who  could 
have  the  slightest  confidence  in  the  success  of  his  ministry  ?  .  .  . 
As  to  myself,  my  dear  friend  and  brother,  I  am  quietly  and  con- 
tentedly settled  in  a  small  parish.  My  home  is  all  my  heart  de- 
sires. My  health  is  year  by  year  becoming  stronger.  My  people 
are  plain  but  substantial.  I  love  a  pastor's  life  more  and  more. 
I  would  rather  avoid  than  covet  any  change  in  my  position.  I 
have  ample  leisure  for  study.  .  .  .  And  now,  when  are  you 
coming  to  see  us  ? 

To  Mr.  G.  L.  Prentiss: 

West  Amesbtjry,  April  7,  1845. 

My  dear  George  :  Your  letter  came  Saturday,  and  I  am 
very  sorry  that  it  is  quite  out  of  my  power  to  go  to  Newburyport 
to-day.  I  have  to  go  instead  to  town-meeting,  and  read  a  school 
report,  and  probably  discuss  some  matters  connected  with  it. 

E.  sends  very  much  love  to  your  sister,  *  and  most  special  greet- 
ings to  your  "Braut,  "f  and  the  strongest  wish  of  our  hearts  is  that 

*  Mrs.  Steams,  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  F.  Stearns,  then  of  Newburyport, 
was  the  sister  of  Mr.  Prentiss. 

f  This  lady  was  Elizabeth  Payson,  second  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Edward 
Payson  of  Portland,  who,  as  Mrs.  Prentiss,  the  author  of  the  "Susy  Books," 
"Stepping  Heavenward,"  etc.,  has  been  so  widely  known  and  so  highly 
esteemed  in  this  and  other  lands. 


122  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

you  may  find  wedlock  and  the  ministry  as  full  of  substantial  and 
constant  joy  as  we  have  been  graciously  permitted  to  find  it. 

Would  that  I  could  be  jDresent  at  your  solemn  ordination,  but 
that,  too,  is  imjDOSsible.  May  you  be  enabled  to  take  upon  your- 
self the  solemn  vows  of  this  sacred  office  with  an  entire  consecra- 
tion of  your  whole  being  to  the  service  of  our  Lord  and  Master  ! 
May  the  Holy  Ghost  grant  to  you  grace  and  strength  in  the  inner 
man.  It  is  not  a  light  work,  but  Jesus  Christ  has  fullness  of 
grace  for  those  whom  He  truly  calls  and  sets  apart  of  His  own 
gracious  election.  And  while  we  must  all  say  :  Who  is  sufficient 
for  these  things  ?  yet  faith  will  enable  us  to  say  :  I  can  do  all 
things  through  Christ  strengthening  me.  Our  great  High 
Priest — blessed  be  His  name  !  knows  our  infirmities,  even  while 
He  calls  us  to  be  His  ministers.  And  if  we  live  near  to  Him,  and 
love  Him  unfeignedly,  and  serve  Him  humbly.  He  jsermits  us 
always  to  rejoice  in  Him  with  a  joy  unspeakable. 

And  may  you  also  be  blessed  in  your  bridal  love.  I  doubt 
not  that  the  highest  and  best  desires  of  your  heart  are  on  the 
eve  of  their  consummation  ;  and  I  rejoice  with  you,  remembering 
my  own  joy,  so  full,  so  calm — entire,  wanting  nothing.  Give  my 
best  remembrances  and  wishes  to  your  Elizabeth.  You  are 
Avorthy  of  one  another,  and  what  more  could  either  of  you  wish 
one  to  say  ? 

If  it  be  possible  for  you  to  come  and  pass  an  hour  or  two  with 
us,  on  your  return  to  New  Bedford  after  your  marriage,  you 
know  how  gladly  we  should  give  you  our  congratulations. 

I  hope  this  may  find  you  in  Newburyport.  The  state  of  my 
people  is  such  that  I  think  it  would  not  be  right  for  me  to  leave 
them  now,  lest  I  prove  an  unfaithful  shepherd  to  some  few  in- 
quiring souls.     And  many  are  sick  who  need  my  presence. 

But  I  rest  upon  the  hope  of  seeing  you  at  New  Bedford,  per- 
haps the  week  after  the  Boston  Anniversaries,  if  that  time 
would  be  convenient  to  you. 

I  will  not  ask  for  a  letter  very  soon,  but  when  you  can,  do 
write,  and  we  will  be  more  faithful  correspondents  than  we  have 
hitherto  been,  if  you  will. 


I'Fcs^  Amesbury.  123 

From  Rev.  Theodore  ParTcer : 

"  West  Roxbury,  July  3,  1845. 

"  Mt  dear  Sir  :  I  am  quite  grieved  to  find  that  I  have  lost  your 
visit,  for  I  vv-anted  to  see  you,  and  talk  about  many  things.  I  wish 
you  could  contrive,  some  time,  to  come  and  pass  a  few  days  with 
us.  You  shall  have  the  hospitality  of  my  books  and  my  house, 
and  the  woods,  as  well  as  my  own.  I  saw  you  had  laid  out  some 
books  in  the  chair.  They  are  at  your  service.  Hegel  and  Schal- 
ler  I  shall  want  in  September,  but  Apuleius  and  Bouterweck  not 
for  a  long  time.  MOhler  I  shall  want  in  the  autumn  for  his 
Essay  on  Islamism  and  its  connection  with  Christianity— i.  e.,  if 
I  am  well.  My  head  is  really  worse  than  my  heart,  little  as 
some  will  believe  it ;  for  I  have  the  heart  for  a  vast  amount 
of  intellectual  work,  but  actually  not  the  head  for  it.  My  head 
is  turning  to  clay.  With  all  manner  of  good  wishes,  believe  me 
truly,  your  friend, 

"Theo.  Parker." 

Referring  to  the  death  of  his  cousin  and  adopted  sis- 
ter, Mr.  Smith  writes  to  his  parents  : 

July  6,  1846. 

.  .  .  May  her  memory  be  long  blessed  to  all  of  us,  as  in- 
deed, I  do  believe  that  it  is.  To  my  own  heart,  I  truly  feel  that 
her  death  has  been  a  source  of  blessing,  as  well  as  of  sorrow.  I 
cannot  recall  her  now  without  strong  feelings  of  love  and  ten- 
derness, and  thankfulness  to  God  that  He  let  us  see  so  much  of 
His  grace  mingled  with  the  cup  of  affliction.  I  think  that  she  is 
dearer  to  me  now  than  ever  before.  I  love  her  more  truly  and 
deeply  than  ever,  and  I  always  loved  her  with  a  brother's  affec- 
tion. 

To  his  parents : 

West  Amesbury,  December  19,  1846. 

.  .  .  Since  I  came  back,  I  have  been  as  busy  as  can  be, 
for,  in  addition  to  my  usual  labors,  I  have  been  preparing  an 
article  for  the  next  number  of  the  Bihliotheca  Sacra,  and  the 
printer's  devils  have  been  after  me  incessantly.     But  next  week 


124  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

I  hope  to  be  freed  from  this  annoyance  and  to  have  a  little  more 
leisure,  although  not  much,  for  I  have  got  to  write  a  Lyceum 
lecture  for  Newburyport,  before  the  middle  of  January,  and 
some  sermons  for  Andover,  too.  But  my  health  is  unusually 
good,  and  while  I  have  health  I  am  willing  to  do  all  that  I  can, 
though  that  all  is  not  the  half  of  what  I  am  perpetually  thinking 
I  ought  to  do,  and  what  I  think,  too,  I  might  have  done.  I 
sometimes  envy  the  men  of  robust  constitution,  who  can  endure 
any  degree  of  study  and  labor  ;  but  it  is  best  as  it  is,  and,  if  I 
know  anytliing  of  myself,  I  think  I  can  say  that  I  esteem  mere 
personal  fame  at  as  low  a  degree  as  is  needful.  I  have  not  half 
the  personal  ambition  that  I  had  ten  years  ago.  So  far  as  such 
feelings  are  concerned,  I  could  live  here  contentedly  all  my  life. 
And  perhaps  it  will  after  all  be  so  ;  and,  if  so,  it  will  be  best. 
He  Avho  comes  into  any  very  public  position  now  in  the  church, 
is  in  a  most  difficult  place,  from  which  any  one  might  rather 
pray  to  be  delivered  than  to  have  it  thrust  upon  him. 

It  did  my  heart  good  to  be  with  you  at  Thanksgiving.  .  .  . 
I  was  glad,  very  glad,  to  find  you  so  well,  and  especially  glad  if 
I  was  or  could  be  the  means  of  increasing  in  any  Avay  your  haj)- 
piness. 

Early  the  next  year,  at  the  request  of  Rev.  F.  H. 
Hedge,  D.D.,  who  was  editing  a  volume  of  "  Specimens 
of  German  Prose  Writers,"  Mr.  Smith  furnished  for  it, 
anonymously,  some  translations  from  Hegel,  together 
with  a  sketch  of  Hegel's  life.  In  asking  for  these  con- 
tributions. Dr.  Hedge  wrote  :  "I  believe  you  are  better 
acquainted  with  Hegel  than  any  one  else  in  this  coun- 
try." ^ 

During  this  summer  he  was  solicited  to  take  charge  of 
a  projected  school  of  a  high  order  at  Lowell :  "a  noble 
offer,"  he  wrote,  "but  I  said  Tzay." 

He  was  again  asked  to  take  the  Hebrew  recitations  at 
Andover,  for  the  winter,  and  also  to  preach  in  his  turn 
in  the  seminary  chaj)el.  He  began  his  instructions  in 
October.  It  was  thought  best  to  close  the  parsonage 
during  the  coldest  months,  and  remove  his  family  to 


IVes^  Amesbury.  125 

Andover,  wliere  his  home  was  with  his  dear  and  honored 
friend,  Mrs.  Cornelius  ;  but  he  spent  a  part  of  each  week 
laboriously  among  his  people.  The  next  spring,  they 
voluntarily  increased  his  salary  and  made  repairs  and 
improvements  in  the  parsonage. 

In  July,  1847,  he  was  surprised  by  a  visit  from  Presi- 
dent Hitchcock  of  Amherst  College  (the  successor  of 
President  Humphrey),  for  the  puri)ose  of  offering  him 
the  chair  of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy,  made  vacant 
by  the  recent  death  of  Professor  Fiske.  This  held  out 
great  attractions  to  him,  and  his  decision  was  made  with 
little  hesitation,  although  not  without  great  pain.  In 
September  a  council  was  called,  which  gave  consent  to 
his  dismission  from  his  pastoral  charge  at  West  Ames- 
bury,  although  his  people  protested  and  almost  every 
one  of  the  lay  delegates  voted  against  it. 

His  farewell  sermons  were  preached  on  Sunday,  Octo- 
ber 10,  1847,  from  the  texts : 

"  Therefore  my  brethren,  dearly  beloved  and  longed  for,  my 
joy  and  crown,  so  stand  fast  in  the  Lord,  my  dearly  beloved." 
— Philippians  iv.  1. 

"  But  as  God  is  true,  my  word  toward  you  was  not  yea  and 
nay."— 2  Cor.  i.  18. 

To  Rev.  J.  F.  Stearns,  D.D.  : 

It  is  hard,  sad  work  leaving  a  parisli ;  very  hard ;  I  had  no 
conception  of  it.  And  to  preach  farewell  sermons,  and  then 
have  an  auction  of  odds  and  ends  is  something  of  a  queerity. 
An  auction  of  one's  own  things  is  just  about  the  last  of  all 
things. 

Good-bye.  God  bless  you  and  yours,  my  dear  brother.  It 
pains  me  to  go  so  far  away  from  you,  but  we  shall  yet  meet,  and 
often,  I  truly  trust,  and  always  in  friendship. 

He  still  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  his  old  friends 
in  Germany,  and  the  following  letters  from  Professor 
Tholuck,  which  belong  to  this  period,  will  show  how 
warmly  his  memory  was  cherished  there. 


126  Henry  Boyntoji  Smith. 

(Translation.) 

Prof.  A.  TJioluch  to  H.  B.  S. :  * 

November  21,  1844. 

"  My  most  beloved  Friend  :  I  think  that  only  two  or  three 
lines  from  my  own  hand  will  give  my  dear  friend  more  pleasure 
than  many  indirect  communications.  How  far  behind  us  lies 
the  time  with  Doctor  Lanner  in  Gastein  and  the  pastor  at  Kis- 
singen,  and  yet  the  love  from  on  high  has  poured  such  a  conse- 
cration over  those  days,  that  they  still  stand  out  bright  and 
radiant  before  my  eyes,  and  before  yours  too,  I  am  sure.  My 
Matilda  and  I,  Avith  Ulrici,  have  heard  of  you  and  yours  with 
the  deepest  interest,  and  our  Smith  is  often  and  warmly  remem- 
bered within  the  walls  of  Halle. 

*'  As  for  the  rest,  I  go  on  my  w^y.  In  my  official  life  God  gives 
me  many  children,  like  the  drops  of  the  morning  dew.  My  soul 
bows  itself,  and  lives  more  in  its  home-land  than  in  this  foreign 
one. 

"My  Matilda  and  I  send  a  greeting  to  your  dear  wife,  un- 
known to  us  though  she  be.  Here  nevermore, — but  there  for- 
ever !  [Diesseits  nimmermehr,  aber — jenseits  fiir  immer  !  ] 

"Yours, 

"A  Tholuck." 

(Translation.) 

Prof.  A.  Tholuch  to  H.  B.  S.  : 

Halle,  June  18,  1846. 

"  My  deeply  loved  Friend  :  I  must  tell  you,  by  at  least  a 
few  lines,  how  indelibly  your  remembrance  still  lives  in  my  heart 
and  my  wife's.  In  a  great  turning-point  of  my  life  you  were  my 
companion  and  the  friend  of  my  heart ;  that  unites  us  by  indis- 
soluble bonds.  I  am  truly  pained  that  I  cannot  write  more  fre- 
quently, but  the  pressing  times  forbid.  However,  I  know  your 
affectionate  heart,  and  that  the  old  memories  do  not  die  out  in 
you.     .     .     . 

"On  the  fourteenth  of  May  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  my 
professorship  was  celebrated  Avith  great  manifestation  of  love, 

*  These  and  other  letters  from  Professor  Tholuck  are  published  with  the 
kind  permission  of  Mrs.  Tholuck. 


JVes^  Amesbury,  127 

and  a  torchlight  procession.  Praised  be  the  Lord,  who,  not- 
withstanding all  my  weakness,  has  thus  far  helped  me  through  ! 
I  know  that  now  the  larger  part  of  my  life-work  lies  behind  me, 
and  I  rejoice  at  it,  and  pray  now  for  a  blessed  ending.  But  all 
the  faithful  here  must  stay  firm  on  the  battle-field,  for  the  oppo- 
sition rises  fearfully  on  account  of  the  government  so  favoring 
the  Gospel.  TUiis  is  a  period  when,  judging  by  the  newspapers, 
one  must  believe  that  all  Germany  has  fallen  from  the  faith. 
However,  this  is  only  the  reaction  against  the  new  faith  that  is 
striving  for  dominion  and  influence  in  the  church.  The  Synod 
of  the  whole  realm,  now  in  session  in  Berlin,  will  give  to  the 
Church  a  constitution  still  moi-e  independent  of  the  State,  and 
this  will  be  of  great  influence,  whether  for  good  cannot  yet  be 
foreseen.  Everything  Christian  in  our  church  has  hitherto  pene- 
trated from  high  places  downward,  but  unbelief  reigns  among 
the  citizens  and  officials. 

"Now,  dear  brother,  I  embrace  you  in  spirit,  and  beg  for  the 
continuance  of  your  fraternal  remembrance.     Yours, 

"A.  Tholuck." 

The  following  recollections  of  these  years  at  West 
Amesbury  are  given  by  the  Rev.  Professor  Park  of 
Andover : 

*'  Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1842,  Mr.  Smith  began  to 
preach  in  West  Amesbury,  (now  Merrimack,)  Massachusetts. 
It  was  a  tranquil  town,  well  fitted  for  the  home  of  a  scholar 
whose  cerebral  system  had  been  overtaxed,  and  whose  health  re- 
quired, not  cessation  from  work,  but  repose  in  employment. 
For  such  a  man  some  kinds  of  labor  are  rest.  The  church  in 
West  Amesbury  soon  gave  him  an  invitation  to  become  their 
pastor,  and  on  the  twelfth  of  December,  1842,  the  parish  unani- 
mously concurred  with  the  church.  His  annual  salary  was  to 
be  five  hundred  dollars,  and  the  use  of  the  parsonage,  Avith  other 
perquisites.  On  the  first  of  March,  1843,  the  society  voted  to 
allow  him  an  annual  vacation  of  three  Sabbaths,  and  on  the 
third  of  March,  1847,  they  voted  to  add  one  hundred  dollars  to 
his  annual  stipend. 

*^  When  he  received  this  call  I  was  residing  in  Germany  ;  and 


128  Henry  Boynton  Smzlk. 

■when  I  stated  to  a  Professor  of  Philosophy  at  Ilalle  that  Mr. 
Smith  was  intending  to  be  ordained  as  a  country  pastor,  the 
professor  expressed  his  astonishment ;  first,  that  so  accomplished 
a  scholar  was  not  invited  at  once  to  a  chair  in  some  university  ; 
and  secondly,  that  he  should  take  up  with  a  rural  pastorate,  and 
should  receive  so  small  a  salary.  The  professor  had  heard  of 
American  clergymen  who  received  several  thousand  dollars  per 
annum,  and  were,  in  his  esteem,  inferior  to  Mr.  Smith.  I  en- 
deavored to  convince  him  that  if  Mr.  Smith  should  be  ultimately 
connected  with  a  theological  seminary,  he  would  derive  impor- 
tant advantages  from  having  labored  in  a  pastorate ;  and  that, 
in  his  state  of  physical  exhaustion,  a  pastorate  in  the  country 
would  be  more  congenial  to  him  than  a  joastorate  in  a  city. 
'But  do  you  not  think,'  was  the  question  of  my  respondent, 
'that  Mr.  Smith's  fondness  for  the  German  philosophy  has  awak- 
ened a  popular  prejudice  against  him,  and  shut  him  out  of  more 
wealthy  parishes  ?  '  I  then  attempted  to  convince  him  that  the 
rank  and  file  of  our  Kew  England  parishes  had  no  decided  re- 
pugnance to  the  Hegelian  philosophy,  as  it  had  been  modified 
by  himself  and  other  Germans  of  the  Evangelical  school.  He 
still  persisted  in  his  opinion  that  so  remarkable  a  young  man 
should  have  a  more  lucrative  position. 

"I  cannot  give  so  good  an  account  of  the  temper  with  which 
Mr.  Smith  entered  upon  his  pastoral  work,  as  by  transcribing 
the  letter  in  which  he  accepted  the  call — four  days  after  his  re- 
ceiving it. 

To  the  Second  Congregational  Church  and  Society  in 
Ameshury : 

Dear  Brethren"  and  Friends  :  I  have  received  communi- 
cations from  the  clerk  of  the  church  and  the  committee  of  the 
society,  giving  the  results  of  your  respective  meetings,  inviting 
me  to  settle  over  you  as  your  pastor  and  minister  in  the  Gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  accept  your  invitation,  asking  you 
to  unite  with  me  in  prayer  to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church, 
that  He  would  strengthen  my  weakness,  give  me  grace  accord- 
ing to  my  need,  and  enable  me  to  know  nothing  among  you  save 
Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified. 

Your  generosity  has  already  so  fully  met  my  suggestions  and 


TVcs^  Amesbury.  129 

wishes,  that  I  am  assured  that  I  can  always  rely  upon  it  for  a 
suitable  support. 

If  it  meet  with  the  convenience  of  the  church,  I  would  request 
that  Thui'sday,  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  the  present  month,  be  the 
day  appointed  for  calling  a  council  to  advise  and  assist  in  respect 
to  my  ordination.  If  the  Lord  permit  this  proposed  connexion 
to  be  consummated,  it  will  be  to  me  a  peculiarly  near  and  solemn 
relation,  since  amongst  you  I  shall  be  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry  by  the  most  solemn  vows  I  can  assume.  As  I  hope 
myself,  I  would  ask  you  also,  always  to  bear  in  mind  these  vows  ; 
and  test  my  teachings  by  the  Bible  ;  and  to  aid  me  by  your  for- 
bearance, candor,  sympathy,  and  constant  prayers. 

Beseeching  the  God  of  all  grace  to  bestow  upon  all  of  you  the 
blessings  of  His  salvation, 

I  remain,  beloved  brethren  and  friends, 

Your  servant  for  Jesus'  sake, 

Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

West  Amesbury,  December  16,  1843. 

"The  sermon  at  his  ordination  was  preached  by  Ex- President 
William  Allen,  then  of  Northampton  ;  the  charge  to  the  pastor 
was  given  by  Eev.  Dr.  J.  F.  Stearns,  then  of  Newburyport  ;  the 
address  to  the  people  by  Eev.  Dr.  Leonard  Withington,  who  still 
lives  at  Newburyport,  in  the  ninety-second  year  of  his  age. 

'*At  the  very  beginning  of  his  pastorate,  Mr.  Smith  mani- 
fested that  alertness  of  mind  which  characterized  him  through 
life.  He  was  quick  to  see,  and  to  feel,  and  to  act.  In  less  than 
three  months  he  proposed  that  the  Church  ;-evise  its  Confession 
of  Faith  and  Covenant.  The  work  of  revision  was  performed  by 
him,  and  the  revised  documents  were  printed  under  his  super- 
vision. Various  intricate  questions  soon  arose  in  regard  to  the 
intercourse  of  his  church  with  churches  of  other  denominations. 
He  exhibited  uncommon  skill  in  his  treatment  of  these  ques- 
tions. One  of  the  votes  which  he  drew  up,  and  the  church  pass- 
ed, is  a  fine  specimen  of  ecclesiastical  statesmanship,  finer  than 
could  have  been  expected  from  a  man  of  his  years.  He  exRibit- 
ed  great  adroitness,  as  well  as  Christian  fidelity,  in  restoring 
amicable  relations  between  those  members  of  his  church  who 
had  been  previously  alienated  from  each  other.  Two  of  them 
9 


130  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

he  invited  to  his  study,  conversed  with  them  affectionately  but 
faithfully,  proposed  that  they  kneel  with  him,  and  offer  consecu- 
tive prayers,  each  of  the  three  men  expressing  his  own  feelings 
in  his  own  way.  The  result  was  that  the  two  estranged  breth- 
ren became  steadfast  friends. 

"  Eager  for  promoting  the  moral  good  of  his  jjarishi oners,  he 
was  fruitful  of  inventions  for  their  mental  improvement.  He 
formed  a  class  for  the  study  of  the  German  language,  another 
class  for  the  study  of  the  French.  One  of  his  pupils  remarked 
that  in  forming  these  classes  his  design  must  have  been  to  learn 
how  ignorant  they  all  were.  He  knew  that  his  design  was  to 
lead  them  up  the  steps  of  literature  into  the  temple  of  religion. 

"Mr,  Eufus  Choate  once  made  a  distinction  between ^^^s^rMC^- 
ed  men  and  educated  men.  The  parishioners  at  West  Amesbury 
were  of  the  instructed  class  ;  they  knew  enough  to  desire  to 
know  more  ;  enough  to  appreciate  learning  in  ther  pastor.  So 
Mr.  Smith  appealed  to  their  intelligence.  His  sermons  were  not 
sensational,  but  didactic.  His  parishioners  were  not  cf  the  edu- 
cated class  ;  they  were  not  versed  in  the  Scotch  or  German  met- 
aphysics. He  therefore  made  an  effort  to  avoid  a  literary  or 
scholastic  style  of  preaching.  In  the  general,  his  sermons  were 
plain.  The  more  intelligent  of  his  audience  found  them  not 
only  worth  hearing,  but  also  worth  studying  ;  the  less  intelli- 
gent found  them  level  to  their  capacity.  Now  and  then  the 
more  enlightened  regarded  his  discourses  as  too  simple,  but  they 
apologized  for  him  because  he  was  giving  a  word  in  season  to  the 
less  enlightened  class.  On  certain  occasions,  however,  they  had 
no  need  of  making, this  apology,  for  they  heard  him  preach  what 
they  themselves  could  not  easily  comprehend.  Now  and  then 
the  less  enlightened  were  obliged  to  struggle  hard  for  under- 
standing him,  but  they  excused  him  because  he  was  giving  their 
due  portion  to  the  more  enlightened  class.  Their  reverence  for 
him  was  heightened  by  the  fact  that  all  classes  of  his  parish- 
ioners looked  up  to  him,  while  he  did  not  look  down  upon  them. 
It  is  not  true  that  a  preacher  should  uniformly  accommodate 
himself  to  the  more  ignorant  of  his  hearers.  He  who  spake  as 
never  man  spake  adopted  a  style  which  confounded  the  lawyers, 
and  even  His  disciples  wondered  what  He  could  mean.  Mr. 
Smith  had  moved  among  the  school-men  ;  his  home  had  been  in 


Wes^  Amesbury.  131 

the  academy  and  the  lycenm  ;  wherever  he  went  he  carried  with 
liim  the  aroma  of  literature  and  science.  Therefore  his  main 
difficulty  in  preaching  was  to  interest  the  less  enlightened  of  his 
auditors.  His  main  excellence  was  that  he  surmounted  this  diffi- 
culty ;  he  became  a  preacher  to  the  masses  ;  the  common  people 
heard  him  gladly. 

"  There  Avas  another  embarrassment  with  which  the  young 
pastor  was  compelled  to  struggle.  His  constitutional  enthu- 
siasm was  too  great  for  his  phy^cal  system.  His  tendency  was 
to  a  fervor  of  religious  feeling  which  his  health  could  ill  endure. 
The  carriage  trembled  under  the  discharge  of  the  ordnance. 
After  one  of  his  sermons  he  said  with  a  tremulous  voice,  and 
with  an  obvious  agitation  of  his  entire  frame  :  *  I  must  not 
preach  another  such  sermon  for  a  month.  I  must  have  entire 
"rest  for  several  doys.'  On  a  hot  and  sultry  Sabbath  afternoon  a 
lawyer  of  some  note  happened,  as  an  utter  stranger,  to  go  into . 
one  of  our  city  churches.  He  saw  in  the  pulpit  a  young  man 
whose  figure  was  slight,  whose  voice,  although  agreeable,  was 
not  commanding,  whose  tones  were  those  of  a  reader  and  a 
recluse,  rather  than  those  of  a  man  of  business  and  of  the  world, 
and  who  was  putting  his  slender  vocal  organs  to  a  severe  trial  in 
order  to  overcome  the  noise  of  the  city  streets.  There  was,  how- 
ever, such  a  delicacy  in  the  young  man's  intonations,  there  was 
such  an  ardor  lighting  up  his  countenance,  such  a  tenderness  as 
well  as  zeal  tinging  the  matter  and  manner  of  his  thinking,  that 
the  lawyer  forgot  the  sultriness  of  the  day,  forgot  his  own  weari- 
ness, wondered  who  the  young  scholar  could  be,  inquired,  but  no 
one  knew.  The  aspect  of  the  preacher,  however,  was  photo- 
graphed on  the  lawyer's  mind,  the  fine  sentiment  of  the  discourse 
was  engraved  on  his  heart ;  and,  years  afterward,  he  discovered 
that  the  young  man  had  become  the  erudite  Theological  Pro- 
fessor in  New  York. 

"  The  narrative  of  Mr.  Smith's  pastoral  labors  may  here  be 
interrupted  by  two  episodes  illustrating  the  confidence  of  his 
parishioners  in  him  and  their  undeviating  affection  for  him. 
They  knew  that  he  was  indefatigable  in  his  work  for  them,  and 
they  never  attempted  to  dampen  his  enthusiasm  in  working  for 
others. 

**  During  the   winter  1845-46,  and  also  of  1846-47,  he  was 


132  Henry  Boyjtton  Smith. 

engaged  as  Assistant  Instructor  in  Hebrew,  at  Andover  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  Professor  B.  B.  Edwards  spent  one  of  these 
winters  in  our  Southern  States,  and  one  of  them  in  Europe.  He 
desired  that  during  his  absence  his  chair  should  be  occupied  by 
Mr.  Smith,  whom  he  often  characterized  as  'every  inch  a 
scholar.'  To  fill  the  place  of  a  teacher  like  Professor  Edwards, 
required  great  skill  and  care.  To  combine  so  arduous  a  task 
with  the  labors  of  a  parish  minister  demanded  an  uncommon 
degree  of  enterprise  and  industry.  Notwithstanding  his  delicate 
health,  Mr.  Smith  performed  his  duties  at  Andover  so  as  to  win 
golden  opinions  from  his  pupils.  Professor  Edwards  was  thor- 
oughly satisfied  with  him,  and  grateful  to  him.  Mr.  Smith 
spent  four  days  in  the  week  at  Andover,  and  the  remaining  days 
at  West  Amesbury.  Sometimes,  however,  instead  of  preaching 
in  his  own  pulpit,  he  preached  in  the  pulpit  of  Bartlet  Chapel. 
I  never  heard  him  preach  as  well  as  when  he  addressed  our  three 
hundred  young  students.  He  appeared  to  be  inspired  for  his 
work.  He  was  argumentative  and  impassioned.  He  discussed 
the  most  intricate  doctrines  of  theology,  and  developed  their 
practical  value.  He  impressed  his  audience  deeply.  A  theolog- 
ical student  remarked  to  me  :  *  I  never  heard  such  excellent 
sermons  from  any  man ; '  then,  stopping  abruptly,  as  if  he  had 
infringed  upon  professorial  rights,  he  added :  'I  mean/roma 
man  not  a  professor.'' 

''During  four  years  of  Mr.  Smith's  pastorate  he  wrote  for  the 
Bihliotheca  Sacra  eleven  articles,  altogether  containing  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-three  octavo  pages.  Of  these,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-six  pages  were  occupied  with  a  translation  of 
the  theological  lectures  of  Dr.  A.  D.  C.  Twesten,  Professor  at 
the  University  of  Berlin.  Mr.  Smith  had  intended  to  publish  a 
translation  of  Dr.  Twesten's  entire  theological  system.  He  was 
encouraged  to  do  so  by  Dr.  Twesten  himself,  who  held  Mr. 
Smith  in  the  highest  esteem.  The  German  professor,  however, 
failed  to  publish  his  system  as  a  whole,  and  so  Mr.  Smith  was 
disappointed  in  not  being  able  to  translate  it.  One  article 
■which  Mr.  Smith  published  in  the  Bihliotheca  Sacra  was  singu- 
larly interesting  and  attractive,  but  was  regarded,  even  by  him- 
self, as  in  some  particulars  inaccurate.  Of  course  he  was  not 
responsible  for  the  inaccuracies.     It  was  a  faithful  translation  of 


West  Amesbury.  133 

an  essay  by  Professor  Ernst  von  Lasaulx  on  'The  Expiatory 
Sacrifices  of  the  Greeics  and  Romans,  and  their  Relation  to  the 
One  Sacrifice  upon  Golgotha.'  Mr.  Smith  published  two  arti- 
cles which  were  somewhat  prophetic  of  his  future  career.  One 
was  what  he  called  'rather  a  paraphrase  than  a  translation' 
from  a  German  essay  entitled  'A  Sketch  of  German  Philoso- 
phy.' The  other  was  an  original  article  on  'The  History  of 
Doctrines.'  We  have  read  the  criticism  of  Hazlitt :  'The  late 
Mr.  Opie  remarked,  that  an  artist  often  puts  his  best  thoughts 
into  his  first  works.  His  earliest  efforts  were  the  result  of  the 
study  of  all  his  former  life,  whereas  his  later  and  more  mature 
performances,  though  perhaps  more  skillful  and  finished,  con- 
tained only  the  gleanings  of  his  after  observation  and  experi- 
ence.' Such  a  remark  cannot  be  applied  in  all  respects  to  Mr. 
Smith.  Still  his  contributions  to  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  indi- 
cated, in  a  striking  degree,  the  line  of  his  subsequent  progress. 
They  gained  for  him  an  early  reputation.  Professor  Edward 
Robinson  wrote  to  the  editors  :  '  You  have  an  excellent  collabo- 
rator in  Mr.  H.  B.  Smith.'  Similar  words  were  uttered  by 
Presidents  Wayland,  Sears  and  Hitchcock,  Professors  Torrey, 
Hackett  and  Gibbs.  His  parishioners  rejoiced  in  his  rising 
fame.  They  honored  themselves  by  their  entire  freedom  from 
jealousy  in  regard  to  him.  Perhaps  they  attended  to  his  ser- 
mons the  more  carefully  because  eminent  scholars  prized  him  so 
highly. 

"  '  A  good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great  riches,  and 
loving  favor  rather  than  silver  and  gold.'  The  good  name  of 
Mr.  Smith  became  at  last  more  pleasant  than  profitable  to  his 
parishioners.  It  occasioned  the  impossibility  of  his  remaining 
among  them,  although  they  chose  him  rather  than  great  riches. 
Literary  institutions  desired  him  more  than  silver  and  gold.  At 
length  he  complied  with  an  invitation  to  take  the  Professorship 
of  Mental  and  Moral  Phrlosophy  in  Amherst  College.  His  feel- 
ings in  view  of  sundering  his  parochial  ties  cannot  be  expressed 
in  more  fitting  words  than  were  chosen  by  himself  in  the  follow- 
ing letter : 


134  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

To  the  Second  Church  of  Christ  in  Ameshury,  and  the  So- 
ciety worshippijig  with  it : 

Deae  Beethren  and  Feiends  :  Having  received  an  invita- 
tion to  another  field  of  labor,  after  the  most  serious  considera- 
tion I  have  been  able  to  bestow  upon  it,  I  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  is  mj  duty  to  request  you  to  unite  Avith  me  in 
calling  a  council  to  dissolve,  if  they  think  expedient,  my  present 
connexion  with  you. 

I  cannot  make  this  request  without  a  heartfelt  recognition  of 
the  strength  of  the  ties  which  unite  me  to  this  people.  Even 
should  our  relation,  as  pastor  and  people,  be  dissolved,  there  are 
some  bonds  which,  I  trust,  will  never  be  sundered.  I  shall  never 
cease  to  thank  that  kind  Providence  which  placed  me  among  a 
people  from  whom  I  have  uniformly  received  so  many  marks  of 
kindness  and  confidence.  Some  of  the  happiest  years  of  my  life 
have  been  spent  with  you.  Nothing,  to  my  knowledge,  has 
occurred  to  mar  the  entire  harmony  of  my  ministerial  and  per- 
sonal relations  to  you. 

That  you  may  continue  a  united  and  prosperous  people,  attached 
to  the  truth,  rooted  and  stablished  in  the  faith  as  it  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  and  ready  for  every  good  word  and  work,  is  the  earnest 
prayer  of  your  affectionate  pastor, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 


"  As  the  preceding  letter  illustrates  the  ministerial  character 
of  Mr.  Smith,  so  the  response  which  it  received  illustrates  the 
sturdy  independence  of  a  New  England  parish.  Every  man, 
woman  and  child  rose  up"  in  opposition  to  his  leaving  thdm. 
The  Church  'voted  unanimously'  against  his  pi-oposal ;  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  appear  before  the  Ecclesiastical  Council 
and  '  show  cause  why  this  connexion  shQuld  be  dissolved.'  The 
reasons  which  were  to  be  presented  to  the  council  were  the  fol- 
lowing : 

1.  We  believe  our  pastor  is  happy  with  his  people. 

2.  The  people  are  happy  and  well-united  in  their  pastor. 

3.  We  believe  it  will  be  establishing  a  bad  precedent  to  dis- 


West  Amesbtiry.  13^ 

solve  the  ties  of  pastor  and  people,  when  so  much  love  and  unan- 
imity exist, 

4.  Amherst  College,  in  our  view,  has  no  stronger  claims  upon 
our  pastor  than  ourselves. 

*'The  college  prevailed  in  the  struggle,  and  the  young  pastor 
left  his  parishioners  in  tears.  He  was  not  forgotten,  however. 
His  Church  followed  him  with  their  prayers  and  benedictions. 
They  insisted  that  he  should  preach  the  installation  sermon  for  his 
successor  in  their  pulpit.  The  sermon  was  a  remarkable  one.  It 
was  the  fruit  of  lengthened  study.  Like  the  ordination  sermons 
of  many  New  England  pastors  in  a  former  age,  it  was  a  concio 
ad  clerutn.  But  although  designed  for  the  clergy,  it  held  the 
attention  of  the  laity.  It  was  a  proof  that  men  will  listen  to 
the  preacher  whom  they  revere,  and  will  catch  the  spirit  breath- 
ing through  the  words  which,  here  and  there,  they  fail  to  under- 
stand." 


136  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

AMHERST.  — 1847-1850. 

The  history  of  Professor  Smith's  life  at  Amherst, 
during  the  next  three  years,  needs  little  to  supplement 
the  following  letters  from  himself  and  others.  He  found 
himself  in  a  most  congenial  atmosphere.  His  home  was 
in  the  comfortable  house  which  Professor  Fiske  had 
left,  to  which  pertained  a  productive  garden,  with  fruit 
and  shrubbery.  His  study,  fronting  the  college  hill, 
looked  southward  upon  fields,  woods  and  mountains. 
Amherst  and  Northampton  gave  him  the  society  of 
many  friends.  His  relations  'to  the  college  faculty  were 
thoroughly  cordial,  and  in  his  classes  and  work  he  took 
ever-increasing  delight. 

His  services  as  a  preacher  were  constantly  in  demand, 
and  there  were  but  few  Sundays  when  he  did  not 
preach,  either  in  his  turn  in  the  coUege  chapel,  or  in 
some  one  of  the  neighboring  towns. 

To  Rev.  Benjamin  Tappan,  Jr.  : 

Amherst,  December  14,  1847. 

Mt  Dear  Friend  :  Many  thanks  for  your  long  and  kind 
letter.  It  came  to  me  when  I  was  full  of  new  college  duties, 
otherwise  I  should  have  answered  it  at  once.  Now  it  is  vacation, 
with  more  of  seeming,  if  not  of  real  leisure.  I  have  been  very 
busy  since  I  came  here,  and  suppose  I  shall  keep  on  so,  and  it  is 
business  which  I  greatly  like.  I  feel  quite  at  home  in  my  new 
studies  and  duties,  though  I  find  there  is  a  great  deal  to  be  done 
if  I  make  my  department  anything  like  what  it  ought  to  be.  I 
am  using  Stewart  and  Brown  for  text-books,  having  found  them 


Amherst.  137 

on  hand.  Prof.  Fiske  was  quite  a  zealous  disciple  of  Brown. 
I  do  not  use  these  books  because  I  feel  satisfied  with  them, 
for  that  is  far  from  being  the  case ;  but,  after  all,  it  does  not 
matter  so  much  what  the  text-book  is,  if  you  can  make  the  stu- 
dents think,  and  introduce  them  fairly  to  the  great  questions  of 
philosophy,  with  some  understanding  of  their  nature  and  bear- 
ings. I  am  trying  this  vacation  to  do  a  little  at  getting  up  some 
lectures  on  some  of  the  preliminary  and  general  questions  in 
philosophy  ;  and  also  to  reduce  my  own  notions  to  something  of 
a  systematic  shape  ;  but  I  cannot  flatter  myself  that  I  have  done, 
or  am  going  to  do  much  in  this  way.  I  feel  rather  oppressed  by 
the  multitude  of  the  materials  than  cheered  by  any  prospect  of 
success,  and  would  be  much  obliged  to  any  Ariadne  who  would 
have  the  goodness  to  give  me  a  thread  through.  I  should  like 
right  well  to  take  a  class  through  a  good  history  of  philosophy, 
if  there  were  any  such  thing  within  reach.  I  think  it  would  be 
more  serviceable  in  the  end  than  almost  any  other  course. 

As  to  other  matters  here,  all  is  very  pleasant.  We  are  most 
pleasantly  situated,  a  good  house,  good  neighbors,  etc.,  and  I 
could  hardly  desire  anything  more  comfortable  than  all  tliese 
outward  things  are.  I  find  enough  to  do,  too,  in  my  vocation 
as  a  preacher,  having  preached  nearly  all  the  time  since  I  came 
here.     And  that  I  am  right  glad  to  do. 

To  a  near  friend : 

Amherst,  February  27,  1848. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  attend  regularly  at  Dr. 


My  dear ,  give  earnest  heed  to  his  solemn  words  and  coun- 
sels. Whether  you  be  Episcopal  or  Congregational  is  of  little 
moment,  compared  with  the  great  question  whether  you  are  a 
Christian.  It  is  not,  believe  me,  it  is  not  a  delusion  ;  if  there  be 
anything  real  and  true,  it  is  the  Christian's  faith.  And  it  is  my 
heartfelt  prayer  that  you  may  know  the  power  and  blessedness 
of  a  perfect  trust  in  Christ. 

To  Ms  parents : 

Amherst,  November  21,  1848. 

.     .     .     When  I  review  the  course  through  which  God  has 
led  me,  I  am  constantly  and  increasingly  impressed  with  a  sense 


138  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

of  His  great  goodness.  ...  He  has  indeed  shown  the  great- 
ness of  His  loving-kindness.  And  I  trust  and  pray  that  He  may 
give  me  grace  to  live  more  as  I  ought — with  a  single  eye  to  His 
glory  and  the  promotion  of  the  kingdom  of  His  Son.  .  .  . 
Our  vacation  begins  next  week,  and  continues  six  weeks.  Some 
time  in  the  latter  part  of  it  I  shall  go  to  Boston,  and  hope  then 
also  to  get  as  far  as  Saccarappa. 

Most  affectionately,  your  oldest  boy, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

(Translation.) 

Prof.  TJioluck  to  H.  B.  S. : 

"Halle,  March  4,  1848. 

*'My  trtjlt  beloved  Feieistd  :  Mr.  Poor,  who  has  been  visit- 
ing Halle,  leaves  to-day,  and  will  take  charge  of  a  line  of  remem- 
brance to  you  ;  so  I  must  now  give  vent  to  the  long  and  so 
deeply-felt  need  of  telling  you  how  distinct  and  vivid  your  image 
still  remains  in  my  heart,  and  in  my  wife's.  How  can  it  be 
otherwise  toward  a  friend  with  whom  we  have  shared  our  inmost 
feelings,  who  has  taken  part,  like  a  brother,  in  our  holiest  joys 
and  most  painful  sorrows  ?     .     .     . 

"Even  at  this  moment  when  I  would  wish  to  write  full  sheets 
to  you,  I  must  needs  be  content  with  a  few  lines.  My  labors, 
thank  God !  have  been  richly  blessed,  up  to  the.  present  time. 
There  has  been  a  better  and  finer  spirit  among  our  students  in 
Halle.  My  wife  and  I  have  grown  still  nearer  to  each  other, 
through  the  discipline  of  her  protracted  illness,  for  sorrow  borne 
as  from  God  is  a  bond  of  union,  as  you  and  I,  too,  have  known. 

*'  My  own  condition,  as  to  health,  is  much  better  than  it  was  in 
1838  ;  but,  notwithstanding  all  my  many  mercies,  I  am  home- 
sick for  the  eternal  home,  and  so  is  my  wife,  too. 

"  It  is  possible,  even  probable,  that  after  so  long  a  time  of  peace- 
ful, orderly  prosperity,  we  in  Germany,  too,  must  feel  the  on- 
ward march  of  severe  conflict.  We  are  not  sure  that  the  French 
fever  Avill  not  pervade  Prussia  and  Germany  also  ;  but,  with  us, 
any  political  uprooting  and  throne-shaking  is  almost  certainly 
an  uprooting  of  religion  and  morality.  It  has  been  evident  in 
our  land  that  the  government  alone  has  been  always  on  the  side 
of  religion  and  morality,  but  the  representatives  of  the  people 


Amherst.  139 

always  for  loose  morals,  conjugal  infidelity,  and  irreligion  ;  and 
thus  the  seeds  of  Rationalism  have  been  so  widely  sown  in  the 
masses  of  the  nation. 

*'  Several  mornings,  already,  I  have  found  written  on  the  door  of 
my  house:  'The  Mucker  {i.  e.,  the  Methodist,  Pietist)  must 
fall  the  first.'  The  storm  will  undoubtedly  burst  first  upon 
those  who  profess  evangelical  religion  ;  and  it  is  not  beyond  pos- 
sibility that  I  and  my  wife,  must,  posaessionless,  seek  a  home  in 
another  part  of  the  world.  But,  '  Christo  duce  nihil  triste!' 
was  Scliwenfeld's  motto,  and  I  feel,  in  advance,  that  to  suffer 
for  Chrisfs  sake  must  be  an  honor,  a  delight. 

''Gladly,  gladly  would  my  heart  pour  itself  out  to  you  in  this 
way  still  longer,  but  I  must  close,  and  I  can  only  give  you  a 
brotherly  embrace  in  old,  in  unchanged  friendship. 

"Yours, 

"A.  Tholuck." 

"In  a  little  book  about  my  jubilee,  two  years  since,  you  will 
find  much  about  the  university." 

(Translation.) 

Prof.  A.  Tlioluch  to  H.  B.  8.  : 

"Halle,  May  30,  1848. 

"  Dear  Friend  :  I  cannot  let  your  friend  Hitchcock  leave 
without  giving  you  a  sign  of  affection.  We  have  become  much 
attached  to  him.  AVhen  I  now  think  of  my  American  friends, 
so  closely  bound  to  me,  I  am  doubly  moved,  by  the  thought  that 
the  time  may  come  when  I  shall  see  them  again.  The  European 
soil  has  become  so  unsafe,  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  church 
and  the  theological  faculty  is  so  seriously  threatened,  that  the 
necessity  of  expatriation  may  not  be  distant.  Scotland  would, 
indeed,  be  my  first  choice,  yet  America  lies  in  the  back-ground. 
What  I  should  find  hardest  to  bear  in  America  is  its  so  entirely 
realistic  life.  I  might,  indeed,  find  youth  there,  but  I  should 
fear,  at  least  among  theologians,  a  youth,  if  more  devout  than  in 
Germany,  yet  not  the  free,  romantic,  poetic  youth,  which  is  so 
quickening  to  me,  and  gives  me  so  youthful  a  feeling  even  now 
in  my  forty-ninth  year.  I  should  especially  fear  for  myself  the 
lack  of  the  necessary  amount  of  intellectual  development.    How- 


140  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

ever,  I  should  be  glad  to  have  your  opinion,  in  case  the  necessity 
of  banishment  should  come,  as  to  what  situation  could  be  found 
in  America  best  suited  to  my  needs  and  capabilities. 

"  Now,  dear  friend,  there  is  a  possibility  that  we  may  see  each 
other  once  more  on  this  side.  But,  if  not,  forever  lovingly  united 
to  you  in  Christ,  remains,  yours, 

"A.  Tholuck." 

To  Ms  wife : 

MoNTPELiER,  Sunday  evening,  July  30,  1848. 

I  have  been  having  a  beautiful,  quiet  day  here,  and  I  want  to 
write  and  tell  you,  just  for  your  comfort,  that  I  have  not 
preached.  I  have  heard  Dr. of all  day.  This  morn- 
ing I  did  not  know  who   it  was,  and  thought  it  was  rather  an 

ordinary  sermon,  but  when  I  found  it  was  Dr.  ,  I  concluded 

I  never  would  make  up  my  mind  about  a  sermon  again,  until  I 
knew  who  preached  it.  This  afternoon,  of  course,  I  thought  the 
sermon  much  better,  and  so  it  was — all  about  Satan  and  his 
agency,  from  the  text :  ''Deliver  us  from  evil,"  which  two  or 
three  ladies  who  sat  near  me,  looked  into  their  Bibles  to  see  if  he 
quoted  it  Just  right.  One  sentence  of  his  prayer,  "Help  us  to 
believe  all  thy  declarations  concerning  the  devil,"  I  thought  was 
rather  characteristic. 

I  have  been  looking  over  my  speech  *  and  trying  to  cut  it 
down,  but  have  only  succeeded  in  making  it  longer,  I  fear. 
Perhaps  I  shall  conclude  to  leave  out  all  but  the  introduction 
and.  conclusion. 

Yesterday  morning  at  Windsor,  Mr.  Tracy,  of  the  Vermont 
Chronicle,  called,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  walk  and  talk  for  an 
hour.  Horace  Everett,  of  Vermont,  who  is  just  getting  up  a 
Free  Soil  party  in  the  State,  was  in  the  stage  to  West  Lebanon, 
some  fifteen  miles,  and  we  agreed  finely  on  politics. 

My  thoughts  and  heart  and  prayers  go  back  every  hour  to  my 
dear  home. 

In  September,  1848,  he  was  present  at  the  anniversary- 
exercises   at  Andover   Seminary,  where  he  heard  Dr. 

*  Commencement  address  before  the  literary  societies  of  the  University  of 
Vermont. 


Amherst.  141 

Bnshnell's  address  on  "Faith  and  Dogmas."  This  was 
on  his  way  to  West  Amesbury,  where  he  preached  the 
sermon  at  the  ordination  of  his  successor,  Rev.  Albert 
Paine,  which  has  been  already  mentioned  by  Professor 
Park.* 

We  give,  as  belonging  to  the  history  of  his  inner  life, 
the  closing  words  of  this  sermon,  which  was  from  the 
text:  "We  preach  not  ourselves  but  Christ  Jesus 
the  Lord,  and  ourselves  your  servants  for  Jesus' 
sake." 

In  speaking,  finally,  of  the  blessedness  of  believing  in  Christ, 
my  heart  and  voice  turn  to  you,  my  beloved  people — suffer  me 
once  more  to  call  you  my  people — for  here,  if  anywhere,  I  have 
seen  and  known  what  that  blessing  is.  Most  kind  and  affection- 
ate were  you  to  me  when  I  was  your  pastor,  and  when  we  parted, 
our  strongest  feelings  were  our  mutual  sorrow.  To  be  your  min- 
ister was  to  me  a  privilege  and  blessing,  and  the  sense  of  it  is 
still  strong  in  my  heart's  memory. 

And  now  you  have  received  another  minister  ;  and  standing 
here,  I  feel  as  if  committing  my  own  flock  to  another  pastor. 
May  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  be  upon  you  and  upon  him  !  If  I 
have  sown  any  good  seed,  may  he  see  it  bear  its  fruit.  What  I 
have  failed  to  do,  may  God  give  to  him  to  do.  Those  hearts 
which  my  words  did  not  reach,  may  they,  oh  !  may  they  be  given 
to  him  as  the  crown  of  his  rejoicing.  The  children  whom  I 
taught  may  he  receive  into  the  fold.  The  Churcli  to  which  I 
ministered,  may  he  be  its  faithful  guide  to  eternal  life. 

And  my  heart's  desire  and  prayer  for  you  all  is,  that  from 
your  own  experience  you  may  know  the  blessedness  of  believing 
in  Jesus.  May  all  your  hearts  feel  the  deepest  love  which  heart 
can  know — the  love  of  a  sinner  to  his  Saviour.  May  all  your 
tongues  join  in  the  gladdest  song  which  men  or  angels  sing — 
even  that  which  ascribes  blessing  and  honor,  dominion  and 
power  to  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  to  the  Lamb 
forever.     Amen. 

*  A  friend  who  was  present  on  that  occasion  wrote  :  "When  the  ministers 
came  into  the  church,  a  good  woman  whispered  to  me,  looking  toward  Mr. 
Smith,  '  That  gentleman  used  to  be  our  minister  ; '  and  when  he  began  his 


142  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

He  wrote  tMs  autumn  a  review  of  Dorner's  History 
of  the  Doctrine  of  Christ,  which  was  published  in  the 
Bibliotheca  Sacra^  January,  1849. 

From  January  to  April,  1849,  he  supplied  the  pulpit 
of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Longineadow,  and, 
through  the  summer,  that  at  Hatfield.  He  reached  a 
number  of  ordination  sermons  during  the  year,  and,  in 
December,  at  the  installation  of  his  old  friend,  Rev.  J. 
F.  Stearns,  D.D.,  in  Newark,  N.  J. 

His  two  sermons  preached  in  the  Amherst  chapel  on 
"  Honor,"  in  which  he  opposed  the  clannish  college  no- 
tion (to  which  he  had  been  a  victim  in  his  own  college 
days)  made  such  an  impression,  that  the  students  re- 
quested to  have  them  published.  This  request  was  not 
granted,  but  he  repeated  them  a  few  weeks  later.* 

From  a  sennon  on  "Friendship,"  preached  also  this 
year,  in  the  college  chapel,  we  quote  a  passage,  which 
was  strikingly  verified  by  his  own  experience  in  later 
years. 

To  look  back  over  the  passages  of  a  varied  life,  in  the  commu- 
nion of  a  friendship  which  has  survived  all  other  changes  of  con- 
dition— to  recall  our  mutual  trust  from  ardent  youth,  through 
the  struggling  years  of  mature  life,  down  to  advancing  age — to 
call  up  the  common  joys  and  the  common  sorrows,  the  struggles 
we  have  shared,  the  help  we  have  given  and  received — and  to 
see  how  our  friend  has  been  faithful  to  us,  through  evil  report 
and  through  good  report,  in  spite  of  human  infirmity,  in  spite  of 
our  own  follies  and  our  sins  even — how  he  has  been  kind  to  us 
when  we  needed  kindness,  and  strong  to  us  when  we  were  weak, 
an  aid  to  our  virtue  and  a  monitor  against  our  sins — here  is  a 
crowning  blessedness  of  true  friendship — of  such  friendship  as 
has  been,  and  is,  and  shall  be,  though  the  world  may  doubt  it, 
and  though  man  be  sinful. 

sermon,  here  and  there  a  face  was  covered  with  a  handkerchief,  and  at  least 
two  persons  near  me  sobbed  so  loud  that  I  could  hear  them." 

*  They  were  afterward  preached  before  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
■ciation  in  New  York  City,  where  they  were  also  repeated,  by  request. 


A  771  her st.  143 

But  the  literary  work  wliicli  marked  this  year  was 
his  addi'ess  at  the  Andover  anniversary  in  September, 
before  the  Porter  Rhetorical  Society  of  the  Seminary, 
on  "  The  Relations  of  Faith  and  Philosophy." 

He  had  written  in  July  : 

About  that  anniversary,  I  have  pretty  much  made  up  my 
mind  that  it  was  rather  a  foolish  thing  for  me  to  accept  the  invi- 
tation. I  never  felt  less  like  writing  anything  ;  but  I  hope  to  have 
some  two  or  three  weeks  of  quiet,  and  after  a  little  ramble  among 
the  hills,  next  week,  I  hope  that  my  thoughts  may  move  more 
freely.  The  fact  is,  that  the  whole  burden  of  the  senior  class 
has  fallen  upon  me  this  year,  and  it  has  been  about  as  much  as 
I  could  well  do  to  carry  them  on.  The  president  has  not  been 
able  to  do  much,  and  the  other  professors  have  little  to  do  with 
the  seniors. 
• 

Professor  Park,  who  had  taken  pains  to  secure  a  fit 

audience  for  the  occasion,  writes  thus  of  the  Andover 
address  :  * 

''Perhaps  he  never  excited  the  interest  of  his  auditors  more 
deeply  than  when  he  pronounced  this  address.  Many  of  these 
hearers  were  listening  to  him  for  the  first  time.  He  knew  that 
some  of  them  rejected  all  forms  of  evangelical  religion  ;  his  voice 
was  tremulous  with  emotion  when  he  spoke  of  the  man  who 
'  knows  no  love  too  great  for  Jesus  ; '  and  when  he  said  '  so 
vital  is  Christ  in  Christian  experience  that  many  are  withheld 
from  speculating  upon  His  nature  by  the  unspeakable  depth  and 
tenderness  of  their  love  for  Him  ; '  *  the  name  of  Jesus  has 
touched  the  tenderest  and  deepest  chords  of  man's  heart.'  He 
knew  that  some  of  his  hearers  were  either  jealous  of  philosophy 
or  inimical  to  it ;  he  declared  with  a  peculiar,  strong  emjihasis  : 
'  We  rob  faith  of  one  of  its  strongest  persuasions,  if  we  do  not 
claim  that  it  is  perfectly  rational.'  He  knew  that  some  of  his 
auditors  were  adopting  the  speculations  of  Dr.  Bushnell ;  he 
uttered  glowing  words  against  those  speculations,  and  here  his 
language  became  as  rich  and  beautiful  as  that  of  the  author 

*  Bibliotheca  Sacra. 


144  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

whom  he  was  opposing  with  polished  weapons.  He  knew  that 
some,  and  the  most  venerable  part,  of  his  audience,  had  an  intense 
aversion  to  the  German  divines,  especially  Schleiermacher ;  he 
girded  up  his  garments  to  defend  these  divines,  especially  Schleier- 
macher ;  his  delicate  form  became  suddenly  m«i-e  erect  than  it 
had  been  ;  his  face  became  paler  and  more  ethereal  ;  he  made  a 
lengthened  pause,  and  then,  '  in  this  connection,  and  in  this  rev- 
erend presence,'  with  tones  of  great  solemnity  and  dignity,  he 
exclaimed,  '  in  the  name  of  the  republic  of  letters,  in  the  name 
of  all  generous  scholarship,  in  the  very  name  of  Christian  char- 
ity, I  dare  not  refrain  from  testifying  that  the  indiscriminate 
censure  of  all  that  is  German,  or  that  may  be  so  called,  is  a  sign 
rather  of  the  power  of  prejudice  than  of  a  rational  love  for  all 
truth.'  He  knew  that  some  of  his  hearers  ranked  among  the 
*  New  England  theologians  ; '  he  turned  his  eye  upon  them  as 
they  sat  near  him  on  the  platform,  and,  with  a  smile  of  arch 
approval  and  soothing  irony,  he  drew  forth  in  response  a  general 
smile,  when  he  said  in  a  low  and  semi-confidential  voice,  '  we 
have  not  only  discussed,  we  have  also  experienced  almost  every- 
thing ;  from  conscious  enmity  to  God  to  the  profoundest  sub- 
mission to  his  will ;  from  the  depth  of  a  willingness  to  be  con- 
demned to  the  heights  of  disinterested  benevolence  ;  from  the 
most  abstract  decrees  of  a  sovereign  down  almost  to  the  power  to 
the  contrary  ;  we  have  passed  through  the  very  extremes  of  doc- 
trine, and  known  them  to  be  real  by  our  inward  experience.' 
At  the  conclusion  of  this  address,  in  which  he  spoke  to  every  one 
a  word  in  season,  every  one  was  delighted  with  it.  The  men 
who  rejected  faith,  and  the  men  who  condemned  philosophy  ; 
those  who  believed  in  Bushnell,  and  those  who  disbelieved  in 
Schleiermacher  ;  theologians  who  had  a  power  to  the  contrary, 
and  theologians  who  had  not  much  power  of  any  kind,  all  crowded 
around  the  orator  of  the  day,  and  thanked  him  for  his  lesson  to 
their  brethren,  and  praised  his  diversified  gifts." 

"This  address,"  writes  Dr.  Park,  "  at  once  made  Pro- 
fessor Smith  conspicuous  in  the  literary  world."  It  was 
published  in  the  Bibllotheca  Sacra,  November,  1849,  and 
was  at  once  reprinted  by  the  Messrs.  T.  and  T.  Clark  of 
Edinburgh,  where  it  attracted  much  attention.   A  friend 


Amherst.  145 

traveling  in  Scotland,  several  years  later,  wrote  to  Pro- 
fessor Smith  :  ''I  believe  I  mentioned  that  Sir  William 
Hamilton  and  also  the  late  Dr.  John  Brown  made  partic- 
ular inquiries  respecting  you,  and  expressed  a  hearty 
admii'ation  tor  your  address  on  the  Relations  of  Faith 
and  Philosophy.  Dr.  Brown  had  it  republished,  so  I 
am  informed."  * 

This  address,  startling,  in  some  of  its  positions,  to  New 
England  ears,  naturally  called  forth  adverse  criticism. 
The  Puritan  Recorder  of  Boston  designated  as  "a  fly  in 
the  ointment"  its  "  acrimonious  vindication  of  Schleier- 
maclier."  A  few  weeks  later  the  critic,  f  while  still  dep- 
recating the  ' '  extravagant  glorification  of  the  brilliant 
but  misleading  genius  of  Schleiermacher,"  retracted  the 
word  "  acrimonious,"  adding,  "there  are  few  men  who 
are  less  chargeable  with  such  a  trait  of  character  than 
the  author."  He  also  wrote  in  a  letter  to  Prof.  Smith, 
October  31,  ' '  Though  I  hate  old  Schleiermacher  worse 
than  ever,  I  shall  content  myself  with  what  I  said  about 
liim  in  the  November  number  of  the  Obsermitory.  and 
shall  let  him  rest  for  the  present,  out  of  love  to  you." 
This  was  accompanied  by  an  urgently  repeated  request 
that  Prof.  Smith  would  be  a  contributor  to  the  columns 
of  the  CJiristlan  Observatory,  of  which  Dr.  McClure  was 
the  editor. 

Rev.  William  A.  Peabody,  who  came  to  Amherst  in 
the  autumn  of  1847,  as  professor  of  Latin,  was  a  valuable 
addition  to  the  college  faculty,  as  well  from  his  attrac- 
tive social  traits  as  from  his  fine  scholarship.     But,  be- 

*Mr.  Sumner  wrote,  Boston,  Nov.  17,  '49  :  "  My  dear  Sir  :  I  have  jixst 
read  with  sincere  emotion  your  address  on  the  Relations  of  Faith  and  Philos- 
ophy. Where  I  found  so  much  for  delight  and  sympathy.  I  am  unwilling 
to  allude  to  points  of  difference.  You  may  fail  to  satisfy  the  convictions  of 
all  minds,  but  you  cannot  fail  to  charm  all  by  the  elegance  of  style,  the  can- 
dor and  the  truly  Christian  spirit  in  which  you  have  treated  a  most  difficult 
and  important  theme.  Believe  me,  dear  Sir,  ever  faithfully  yours,  Charles 
Sumner." 

t  The  late  Rev.  A.  W.  McClure,  D.D. 


146  Heniy  Boynton  Smith. 

fore  lie  had  found  a  home  in  the  village,  he  was  stricken 
down  by  fever  at  the  hotel,  where  he  died  on  the  first  of 
March.  Prof.  Smith  visited  him  day  after  day,  like  a 
brother,  and  was  with  him  when  he  died,  "seeing  death 
for  the  first  time."  Doubtless  to  the  impression  made 
by  this  event  may  be  traced  the  unusual  fervor  of  his 
preaching  to  the  students  during  the  following  weeks. 
Prof,  Tyler  *  alludes  to  one  of  his  sermons  in  particular, 
preached  in  April,  from  the  text :  "  Almost  thou  per- 
suadest  me  to  be  a  Christian,"  as  "having  had  a  mighty 
effect." 

To  Rev.  Benjamin  Tappan,  Jr.  : 

Amherst,  April  30,  1850, 

.  .  ,  .  Our  spring  vacation  is  about  half  gone  now.  I 
am  staying  at  home,  doing  the  '^  fixings  "  about  house  and  gar- 
den, and  needing  that  sort  of  relaxation  very  much.  We  had  a 
most  delightful  term,  especially  in  a  religious  point  of  view. 
You  may  have  noticed  Dr.  Hitchcock's  account  of  it  in  the 
newspapers.  I  never  knew  so  largo  a  body  of  young  men  so 
deeply  impressed,  so  generally  serious,  with  so  little  of  mere  ex- 
citement. It  was  a  solemn,  thoughtful,  constant,  realizing  view 
of  religious  things,  and  it  continued  uninterrupted  to  the  very 
close  of  the  term.  Among  the  converts  were  some  of  the  very 
best  men,  and  some  of  the  very  worst  men  in  college.  Study 
and  everything  else  went  on  as  usual,  excepting  discipline,  of 
Avhich  there  was  none.  The  tone  of  religious  feeling  and  thought 
among  the  Christians  was  deepened  and  strengthened .  In  short, 
it  came  nearer  to  realizing  my  idea  of  what  a  true  revival  of 
God's  work  should  be  than  anything  else  I  have  ever  known.    .  . 

You  ask  me  about  the  proof  for  the  personality  of  God.  This 
is,  in  fact,  the  difficult  question,  and  one  which  our  English 
treatises  do  not  sufficiently  meet.  It  is  the  great  defect  of  the 
a  priori  argument  that  it  does  not  establish  this  point  suffi- 
ciently. The  argument  from  design,  as  commonly  treated,  proves 
an  intelligence.     Our  geologists  say  that  is  not  enough,  we  must 

*  History  of  Amherst  College,  p.  35. 


Amherst.  147 

prove  a  begun  design.  They  virtually  say,  intelligence,  design, 
reason  in  nature  might  be  there  without  a  God  to  put  it  theie  ; 
we  must  be  able  to  interrupt  the  series  somewhere,  and  say  tliere 
is  where  a  new  order  of  things  came  in.  I  don't  believe  in  this 
one  whit,  as  helping  the  argument  logically.  If  I  could  su|)pose 
the  whole  of  nature,  with  all  its  system  and  design,  to  exist  with- 
out an  intelligent  author,  I  could  suppose  some  law,  or  laws, 
working  in  the  scries,  and  designed  to  bring  just  such  a  change 
at  just  such  a  time,  and  I  don't  see  how  any  geologist  could 
overthrow  this  supposition. 

The  stress  of  the  case  seems  to  me  to  come  about  here.  Here 
is  a  vast  scries  of  things  showing  design,  rational  ends,  in  the 
parts  and  in  the  whole.  The  pantheist  says,  it  is  a  sufficient 
explanation  of  all  this  to  say  that  the  series  has  always  existed  ; 
an  infinite  series  of  antecedents  and  consequents  is  sufficient  to 
account  for  all  we  find  in  nature.  And  when  new  things  come 
in,  he  says,  they  are  still  a  part  of  the  series  not  before  devel- 
oped. 

The  only  way  of  meeting  him  here  seems  to  me  to  be  by  say- 
ing that  his  series  does  not  explain  or  account  for  just  what  is 
most  necessary  to  be  explained  and  accounted  for.  The  series, 
in  fact,  does  not  explain  anything.  It  is  a  bare  re-statement  of 
the  fact  that  certain  things  succeed  each  other  in  nature  in  an 
orderly  course,  in  a  regular  method.  It  amounts  simply  to  say- 
ing that  there  is  in  point  of  fact  nothing  to  be  explained.  But 
this  is  to  blink,  to  ignore,  to  thrust  aside  the  whole  question. 
This  series  is  not  merely  a  mere  succession  of  antecedents  and 
consequents ;  it  is  sometliing  more ;  it  is  a  series  of  means  and 
ends,  a  vast  system  of  designs,  not  only  of  efficient,  but  of 
final  causes.  Now,  to  say  that  regular  succession,  a  bare  "physi- 
cal "  law  explains  design,  is  a  bare-faced  assumption.  It  does 
not  explain  it.  It  does  not  answer  the  question,  How  came 
these  rational  means  and  ends  into  existence  ?  The  validity  of 
this  inquiry  is  to  be  first  shown.  Having  proved  it  to  be  valid, 
and  having  proved  that  the  series  does  not  explain  it — then 
there  are  two,  and  only  two,  possible  suppositions  :  one  is,  that 
reason,  intelligence,  a  system  of  means  and  ends,  exists  in,  be- 
longs to  the  material  universe  itself,  of  inherent  right,  of  prime 
necessity  ;  and  the  other  is,  that  the  reason,  the  intelligence  were 


148  Heiijy  Boynton  Smith. 

given  to  the  world  by  an  adequate  power.  Tliis  is  merely  stating 
the  matter.  If  the  last  point  be  made  out,  then,  as  to  the  per- 
sonality of  that  power,  I  hold  it  to  be  utterly  inconceivable  that 
we  can  suppose  an  intelligence  adequate  to  produce  what  we  know 
to  be  in  creation,  without  personality.  Whether  that  personality 
be  just  like  ours,  whether  the  Trinity  in  the  Godhead  be  necessary 
to  the  full  conception  of  the  divine  personality  (which  many 
later  Germans  hold)  is  too  long  a  subject  to  be  entered  on  now. 

The  younger  Fichte  in  his  Speculative  Theologie  has  given  one 
of  the  best  criticisms  on  the  pantheistic  scheme.  He  is  thor- 
oughly a  theist.  Hegel,  in  the  appendix  to  his  Religionsphil- 
osophie,  has  one  of  the  ablest  criticisms  on  the  various  proofs 
for  the  being  of  God,  making  them  all  to  be  parts  of  one  argu- 
ment. Trendelenburg,  in  his  Logische  Untersuchungen,  under 
the  category  ''Zweck,"  has  some  of  the  ablest  and  most  conclu- 
sive statements  in  respect  to  design.  I  am  afraid  that  I  have 
hardly  made  myself  intelligible  enough.     .     .     . 

N".  B. — The  so-called  a  'priori  argument  is  necessary  in  prov- 
ing the  infinitude  and  perfection  of  the  divine  nature ;  the 
a  posteriori  for  personal  intelligence  and  will. 

To  Rev.  G.  L.  Prentiss  : 

Amherst,  April  30,  1850. 

.  .  .  I  have  been  at  work  all  the  term — have  written  sev.- 
eral  sermons — have  preached  more  than  usual,  of  course — and  I 
have  also  gone  on  in  writing  lectures  on  Anthopology,  where 
our  text-books  are  so  lamentably  deficient,  and  where  the  un- 
practical Germans  are  so  far  before  everybody  else.  I  have  been 
looking  over  a  good  many  of  their  books  in  the  hope  of  find- 
ing one  that  I  could  bi-ing  bodily  into  English.  But  I  am  afraid 
that  this  is  impossible.  A  text-book  for  a  college  class  must 
needs  be  rather  a  special  affair. 

Have  you  seen  the  third  edition  of  Miiller  on  Sin  ?  It  is  im- 
proved, and  it  is  really  a  great  book.  And  have  you  seen  Eothe's 
Theologische  Ethik  ?  Miiller's  third  edition  is  directed  in  part 
against  Rothe,  who  derives  sin  mainly  from  the  sensual  nature. 

But  Rothe's  is  the  greatest  attempt  yet  made,  even  in  Ger- 
many, to  apply  a  speculative  theology,  in  a  true  constructive 
method,  to  all  the  details  of  duty  and  life.     There  is  a  strong. 


Amherst. 


149 


a  very  strong  ''physical."  "realistic"  element  in  it ;  it  is  a  sort 
of  reaction  against  an  excessive  spiritualism.  I  cannot  master 
it  all — and  dissent,  perhaps,  from  its  main  views — but  still,  as 
Miiller  says,  it  is  "  ein  merkwiirdiges  Buch  " — and  costs  eight 
dollars  and  seventy  cents  of  Garrigue  ! ! 

I  enjoyed  our  visit  at  Stearns's  last  winter  very  much.  I  found 
tlic  fame  of  you  there.  I  hear  that  S.  is  doing  exceedingly 
well,  beyond  the  highest  expectations  of  the  people.  He  is  a 
rare  minister. 

We  are  well,  enjoying  this  spring-time.  Come  and  see  us  this 
summer.  A.  C.  Adams  has  been  here  lately,  preaching  at  West 
Springfield. 

The  manner  and  influence  of  Professor  Smi!;]i's  teach- 
ing and  life  at  Amherst  can  best  be  told  by  some  of  his 
pupils  and  fellow-instructors. 

''I  shall  never  forget,"  writes  Eev.  Wm.  H.  Fenn,  of  High 
Street  Church,  Portland,  "the  tenderness  with  which  he  took 
me  into  his  study,  talked  to  me  as  if  I  were  an  old  man,  urged 
me  to  study  German  with  Mr.  Tribus,  and,  taking  down  his  copy 
of  the  Maria  Stuart  of  Schiller,  bade  me  use  it  as  if  it  were  my 
own.  He  was  the  first  professor  whom  I  had  ever  met  who  un- 
bended, or  who  showed  the  humor  which  my  boyish  heart  rel- 
ished amazingly. 

"  I  am  exceedingly  grateful  to  God  for  all  the  love  I  bore  him, 
and  for  all  the  interest  he  showed  to  our  family  in  circumstances 
of  much  need." 

The  following  letter  is  from  the  Rev.  Julius  H. 
Seelye,  D.D.,  President  of  Amherst  College. 

"  Professor  Smith  came  to  Amherst  in  the  fall  of  1847,  which 
was  the  beginning  of  my  junior  year.  As  his  instructions  were 
confined  to  the  senior  class,  I  did  not  meet  him  in  the  recitation 
room  till  a  year  afterward  ;  but  the  general  influence  of  his  pres- 
ence ere  long  appeared  through  all  the  college.  The  seniors  were 
at  once  kindled  by  his  enthusiasm,  and  his  attainments,  and 
their  reports  were  soon  in  every  student's  mouth.     Probably  no 


150  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

one  theme  was  at  the  time  talked  of  more,  or  with  more  gratified 
interest,  in  the  college,  than  the  doings  and  the  promise  of  the 
new  professor. 

"We  all  soon  heard  him  preach,  and,  though  the  college  pul- 
pit, as  supplied  by  the  president  and  professors,  was  always  in- 
structive and  quickening,  we  learned  to  look  with  special  zest 
for  Professor  Smith's  appearance  therein  ;  and,  whenever  he 
preached,  he  was  heard  with  no  less  cordial  interest  than  re- 
spectful attention.  I  remember  how  early  I  was  impressed  with 
the  prominence — both  in  his  preaching  and  his  prayers — of  his 
conviction  of  the  glory  of  Christ.  Sometimes  his  jirayers  Avould 
seem  little  other  than  the  out-breathings  of  desire  that  we  might 
know  more  of  Christ ;  and  often  the  deepest  impression  of  his 
sermons  seemed  to  come  from  the  impulse  j^ervading  them,  to 
be  and  to  make  others  comjolete  in  Him.-  His  preaching, 
greatly  profitable  to  the  students,  was  not  what  would  be  called 
popular,  thougli  I  think  his  presence  was  welcomed  in  the  pul- 
pits of  the  neighboring  churches.  His  expression  was  not  ade- 
quate to  his  thought — he  always  seemed  to  have  more  than  he 
could  say — but  he  showed  so  much  earnestness  and  self-forget- 
fulness,  that  his  utterances,  though  never  impassioned,  were 
always  impressive  ;  and  I  suspect  that  he  never  preached  in  the 
college  without  interesting  all,  or  without  awakening  in  many  a 
true  incitement  to  a  better  life. 

"  When  I  became  a  daily  attendant  upon  his  recitations,  I  well 
recall  my  early  sense  of  his  gentleness,  his  quiet  simplicity,  his 
abundance  of  learning,  which  he  had  the  ready  power  to  use, 
without  the  least  ostentation,  and  the  unalfected  interest,  evi- 
dent at  once,  in  all  his  pupils  and  their  work.  These  first  im- 
pressions did  not  wear  away.  Week  by  week,  there  grew  in  the 
minds  of  his  pupils  a  deeper  sense  of  his  scholarship,  his  insight, 
his  comprehensive  grasp  of  things,  and,  more  than  all,  his  unwea- 
ried interest  that  every  one  receiving  his  instructions  should 
grow  in  knowledge  and  in  grace.  If  we  criticised  him,  it  was 
for  giving  us  so  much  that  we  could  not  always  digest  it. 

"It  was  not  his  way  to  question  his  pupils  much.  He  gave 
them  topics  to  recite  upon,  and  was  wont  to  supply  their  lack 
fi'om  his  own  stores.  We  used  Stewart  and  Brown  as  text- 
books in  philosophy,  neither  consecutively,  but  sometimes  recit- 


Amherst.  151 

ing  from  one,  and  sometimes  from  the  other,  on  particular 
themes  which  the  professor,  from  day  to  day,  would  indicate. 
We  also  studied  Avith  him,  during  our  senior  year,  Whately's 
Logic,  Wayland's  Moral  Science,  and  Duer's  Constitutional 
Jurisprudence,  in  which  last  theme  he  showed  no  less  interest, 
and  hardly  less  information,  than  in  philosophy  itself.  He 
often  assigned  to  members  of  the  class  tojncs  requiring  special 
reading  and  study,  and  which  they  were  afterward  to  discuss, 
orally  or  by  writing,  before  the  class.  Among  such  topics  I  re- 
member Mill's  doctrine  of  the  Syllogism,  Plato's  Theastetus, 
Hume  on  Cause  and  Effect,  the  Baconian  Method,  the  doc- 
trine of  Free  Trade,  etc.  Sometimes  we  had  a  half  day  assigned 
for  these  exercises,  and,  untrammelled  by  the  usual  limits  of 
the  recitation  hour,  Ave  took  what  time  seemed  Avell  for  the  dis- 
cussion assigned.  However  much  we  may  have  limped  in  these 
exercises,  the  professor  did  not  halt,  and  his  remarks  were 
always  so  ready,  and  withal  so  rich,  that  I  do  not  think  I  ever 
heard  any  one  comj^lain  because  the  exercise  had  been  too  long. 
*'He  was  always  kind  and  always  ready  to  help,  but  never 
cordially  demonstrative ;  perhaps  always  a  little  reserved,  but 
not  distant,  easily  accessible,  guileless,  we  always  felt,  and  un- 
suspecting, with  great  and  ever-growing  learning,  yet  without 
affectation  and  without  pedantry  ;  Avhile  the  most  prominent  of 
all  his  traits  seemed  to  be  his  undoubting  faith  in  the  truth  of 
God,  and  the  spirituality  of  man,  and  the  efficacy  of  the  atone- 
ment of  Jesus  Christ.  To  have  been  his  pupil  is  still  a  source  of 
gratitude  and  joy  to  me." 

Prof.  Francis  A.  March,  LL.D.,  of  Lafayette  College, 
Pa.,  writes  : 

"Prof.  Smith  came  to  Amherst  while  I  was  tutor.  I  remem- 
ber well  Dr.  Hitchcock's  reading  to  the  Faculty  his  letter 
accepting  the  professorship,  and  the  pleasant  impression  it  made 
of  directness  and  clearness.  The  students  were  prepared  to  gi^-e 
him  a  cordial  Avelcome.  The  relations  between  Amherst  and 
Andover  were  very  intimate,  so  many  students  came  to  Amherst 
from  Phillips  Academy  and  went  back  to  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary, and  the  Amherst  men  were  so  good  friends  and  correspon- 
dents, that  we  Avere  in  a  sense,  one  community,  and  *  Professor 


152  Henry  Boynion  Smith. 

Park '  and  '  Moses  Stuart,'  and  all  their  sayings  and  doings  were 
as  familiar  at  Amherst  as  at  Andover.  So  we  knew  all  about 
Professor  Smith.  His  varied  learning  and  acuteness — he  was 
said  to  be  Avell  fitted  for  several  professorships — most  of  all,  per- 
haps, his  mastery  of  German  philosophy  and  theology,  his 
studies  in  Germany,  and  the  recognition  given  him  by  the  schol- 
ars there,  were  in  many  mouths,  and  were  heard  with  great  eyes. 
Dr.  Hitchcock  was  at  this  time  managing  the  discipline  of  the 
college  in  his  own  way,  and  I  do  not  think  that  Prof.  Smith  was 
much  known  to  the  Faculty  or  students  as  a  disciplinarian.  His 
influence  was  mainly  that  of  a  scholar  and  teacher.  He  did  not 
obtrude  the  systems  of  Germany  in  his  teaching.  He  went  over 
the  topics  in  Stewart  and  Brown,  which  were  the  traditional 
Mental  Philosophy  at  Amherst,  and  enlarged  by  references 
mainly  to  Scottish  and  English  philosoi^hers,  Keid,  Hamilton, 
Locke,  Berkley,  and  Hume.  He  thought  much  of  the  History 
of  Philosophy,  and  had  projected  a  text-book  on  that  subject  on 
the  basis  of  a  French  manual,  as  well  as  a  course  of  lectures. 
He  revived  the  study  of  logic.  He  urged  the  introduction  of  the 
study  of  Constitutional  law,  and  finally  gave  a  course  in  it  him- 
self, in  addition  to  the  work  of  his  department.  He  was 
eminently  successful  as  a  teacher.  His  method,  as  I  learned 
from  the  students  and  from  occasional  attendance,  was  topical. 
He  did  not  spend  much  strength  in  cross-questioning  to  bring 
out  the  ignorance  of  the  students,  nor  did  he  very  much  labor  to 
enforce  his  own  views  by  reiterating  and  enlarging.  '  He  stops 
when  he  is  through,'  was  a  frequent  remark  in  his  praise.  I 
think  of  him  oftenest  as  a  sower  with  his  hands  full  of  good 
seed.  He  seemed  always  watching  to  drop  some  seed-thought 
suited  to  the  soil.  It  was  a  great  matter  with  him  to  stimulate 
research.  He  gave  out  written  essays  on  topics  which  required 
much  reading  and  thinking,  and  he  sought  personal  intercourse 
with  the  abler  men,  directing  their  reading  and  thinking,  stimulat- 
ing them  to  ambitious  efforts  for  the  grasping  of  great  truths  and 
systems  of  philosophy,  and  giving  them  high  ideals  of  eminence  in 
original  investigations.  He  led  the  way  in  searching  the  libra- 
ries for  everything  in  his  line,  getting  the  old  periodicals  in 
place  in  which  there  were  good  articles,  such  as  those  of  Hamil- 
ton in  the  EdinhurgJi  Review,  then  comparatively  unknown.     He 


Amherst.  153 

was  miicli  pleased  with  the  work  done  by  the  students.  He 
often  told  me  that  he  was  sni'i^rised  at  the  manner  in  which  the 
Amherst  seniors  took  hold  of  the  problems  in  philosophy,  and 
that  they  secerned  personally  younger  to  him  than  their  discus- 
sions showed  them  to  be.  This  was  partly,  I  imagine,  because 
they  lookt  up  to  him  so  much  that  they  made  themselves 
younger  to  him  than  they  were,  but  Miller,  Seelye,  and  Ham- 
mond and  Clark,  all  since  eminent  professors,  and  several  others 
in  his  classes,  were  no  doubt  vigorous  thinkers  and  workers, 
beyond  their  years,  and  set  the  pitch  of  their  classes  high. 

"  His  interest  and  influence  were  not  confined  to  philosophy. 
His  wide  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  literature,  art,  and  his- 
tory were  freely  used  for  the  benefit  of  the  students,  and  added 
much  to  their  estimate  of  him.  Students  are  better  judges  of 
extent  than  profundity.  They  were  the  more  pleased  with  his 
interest  in  the  libraries  because  it  was  the  prevailing  belief 
among  them  that  the  Faculty  generally  more  favored,  as  they 
exprest  it,  the  collection  of  bugs  and  stones.  He  did  not  go  into 
enthusiasm  much  in  his  talk  on  sestiietic  matters.  He  rather 
dropped  some  pithy  dry  remark  as  though  he  did  not  let  his 
feeling  loose.  In  the  same  spirit,  I  thought,  he  did  not  repeat 
admired  passages,  but  would  give  an  outline  of  the  thought  in 
his  own  words.  I  remember  his  so  giving  Blanco  White's  sonnet 
to  Night,  and  passages  from  Talfourd's  Ion.  These  are  exam- 
ples of  the  kind  of  poetry  which  seemed  most  to  please  him ; 
striking  moral  thought  exprest  with  classical  clearness  and 
elegance.  He  was  always  alert  and  earnest  about  religion,  the 
relations  between  philosophy  and  religion,  the  difficulties  started 
by  philosophized  systems,  and  especially  pantheism,  which  was 
then  lively.  His  way  of  dealing  with  them  was  appreciative  and 
historical,  a  way  since  grown  common,  but  then  seeming  pecu- 
liar. Christianity  is  a  fact,  a  power,  as  much  as  gravitation,  he 
said  ;  study  the  history  of  its  workings.  He  did  not  diminish 
the  attractive  traits  of  the  great  systems  and  their  authors,  but 
aimed  to  show  that  Christianity  and  Christ  had  the  same  traits 
in  a  higher  degree.  Christ  is  the  center  and  source  of  all.  He 
admired  Spinoza.  He  seemed  to  have  a  personal  regard  for 
Hegel.  He  said  that  the  heroical  and  inspiring  thought  of 
Emerson  was  Calvinism  duly  descended  from  his  Puritan  ances- 


154  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

tors,  and  if  Emerson  only  saw  his  thought  in  its  true  relation  to 
Christ  he  would  be  orthodox.  He  spoke  in  a  similar  way  of 
many  other  eminences,  and  of  the  masters  in  philosophy.  He 
said  that  he  should  have  been  a  pantheist  but  for  Christ.*  The 
materialism  which  has  since  become  fashionable  was  then 
unknown.  The  authors  whom  I  remember  hearing  him  con- 
demn, were  oftenest  such  as  made  a  show  of  much  learning  on 
the  subjects  he  studied,  but  who  proved  to  be  without  thorough- 
ness and  accuracy.  Theodore  Parker  and  some  of  the  current 
third-rate  Germans,  I  remember  especially,  as  worrying  to  him 
in  this  way.  He  was  a  lover  of  truth  for  its  own  sake.  He  was 
also  strong  on  the  practical  side.  I  do  not  mean  the  bread  and 
butter  side,  but  he  thought  of  truth  as  a  power,  and  wanted  to 
help  it  make  history.     He  thought  how  doctrines  would  work. 

"  I  once  urged  upon  him  that  gravitation  indicates  our  universe 
to  be  finite,  that  sin,  etc.,  indicate  its  framer  and  governor  to  be 
finite.  Is  not  Christianity  finite  ?  Does  not  Paul  talk  so  some- 
times ?  He  (or  I)  repeated  the  passage  I  had  most  in  mind, 
1  Cor.  XV.  28,  and  he  added,  '  But  you  can  never  make  a  Yankee 
worship  anything  less  than  the  Infinite.'  He  was  strong  in  his 
political  principles,  in  favor  of  'free  soil,' and  ready  for  saga- 
cious furtherance  of  all  good  public  ends.  I  have  drifted  away 
from  his  recitation  room.  His  influence  pervaded  the  college, 
not  only  by  his  professional  teaching,  but  by  public  preaching, 
in  which  he  rejoiced  and  to  which  he  came  with  full  hands,  and 
by  lectures  and  conversations,  and  the  traditions  of  them.  No 
one  then  at  Amherst  can  have  failed  to  regard  the  brief  period 
of  his  professorshijD  as  making  an  era  in  the  life  of  the  place. 

''Of  his  more  intimate  personal  traits  and  influence,  his  kind- 
ness, sympathy  and  goodness,  I  shall  not  try  to  write,  but  I 
cherish  the  most  grateful  remembrance  of  them." 

Rev.  Professor  William  S.  Tyler,  thus  writes : 

"Kev.  Prof.  Henry  B.  Smith  was  here  only  three  years  (1847- 
1850),  before  he  was  called  to  Union  Theological  Seminary  in 
New  York,  where  he  became  so  widely  known  as  a  leader  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  one   of  the  brightest  ornaments  of 

*  In  later  years  he  wrote  :  "  The  time  is  sweeping  on  when  he  who  will 
not  be  a  Christian  must  he,  a  ^pantheist." 


Amherst.  155 

Atnerican  Theology  and  Ecclesiastical  History.  With  a  simplic- 
ity and  purity  of  character,  equalled  only  by  his  learning  and 
power,  he  exerted  an  influence  as  great  as  it  was  good,  in  the 
professor's  chair,  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  government  of  the  col- 
lege, in  the  community  and  the  vicinity  ;  and  he  went  away, 
leaving  a  friend  in  every  pupil,  in  every  person  with  whom  he 
was  intimately  associated."  * 

In  July  1850,  he  was  visited  by  a  committee  from  the 
Union  Theological  Seminary  of  New  York  City,  offering 
to  him  its  chair  of  Church  History.  In  this  proposal 
were  involved  weighty  questions,  concerning  not  only 
his  sphere  of  personal  work,  but  also  his  relations  to  the 
Congregational  and  Presbyterian  churches.  He  was  a 
loyal  son  of  New  England,  and  had  cordially  adopted 
the  polity  of  her  Congregationalism.  Strong  protests 
came  to  him  from  different  quarters.  The  Alumni  and 
Trustees  of  Amherst  College  sent  messaged  deprecating 
his  removal.  Representations,  appeals  and  offers  were 
made  to  him,  such  as  miglit  well  have  held  him  back.  He 
was  warned  against  casting  his  lot  in  a  Seminary,  which 
was  little  more  than  an  experiment,  unendowed  and 
uncertain,  while  New  England  had  claims  upon  him  and 
need  of  him.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  here  was  a  direct 
call,  such  as  never  had  come  before,  and  might  not  come 
again,  to  the  highest  and  most  congenial  work ;  a  call 
enforced  by  his  own  predilections  and  course  of  educa- 
tion, and  most  of  all  by  his  love  for  the  Church  of  Christ 
and  by  his  high  ideal  for  its  ministry. 

He  spent  months  in  coming  to  his  decision.  He  con- 
sulted in  New  York  with  the  friends  of  the  Seminary, 
and  in  New  England  with  those  most  opposed  to  his 
breaking  from  old  ties ;  he  sought  the  wisest  counsel, 
while  he  earnestly  and  prayerfully  sought  to  be  guided  in 
the  right  way.  Some  of  the  following  letters  wiU  show 
what  were  his  difficulties  and  motives  in  coming  to  his 
decision : 

*  History  of  Amherst  College,  p.  338. 


156  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

To  Rev.  G.  L.  Prentiss : 

Amhekst,  July  15,  1850, 

I  thank  you  very  mucli  for  your  kind  letter,  and  I  thank  you 
doubly  for  it,  as  written  under  such  circumstances.  It  conveyed 
to  me  the  first,  and,  as  yet,  the  most  direct  information  I  have 
had  of  my  appointment  at  New  York.  I  did  not  know  until 
about  a  Aveek  before,  and  then  only  by  an  incidental  allusion, 
that  my  name  had  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  that  pro- 
fessorship. The  whole  thing  is  a  surprise  to  me,  and  I  have  not 
yet  had  any  official  notification. 

You  will  believe  me  when  I  say  that  I  had  strongly  desired 
that  you  might  be  appointed  to  that  situation,  and  I  had  also 
urged  it  strongly.  I  had  no  other  thought  but  that  you  would 
be. 

I  am  not  now  in  any  condition  to  consider  the  question  of  my 
acceptance.  I  dislike  so  many  changes  ;  I  like  Amherst,  and  in- 
creasingly. I  have  been  very  contented  here.  I  wish  you,  or 
somebody  else  to  Avhom  I  could  talk  all  out,  were  here  to  talk 
with  me  about  the  matter.  I  know  that  I  am,  in  some  respects, 
fitted  for  my  present  situation,  and  for  a  college  professorship. 
I  am  much  more  doubtful  about  a  theological  institution. 

I  need  not  tell  you  how  heartily  I  sympathize  with  you  in  the 
very  great  loss  you  have  sustained  in  the  death  of  a  brother  *  so 
justly  dear  to  you,  and  of  such  remarkable  qualities  of  mind  and 
character.  ...  It  must  be  to  you  an  overwhelming  sorrow, 
especially  if  it  be  as  sudden  as  I  infer  that  it  is.  May  He  who 
bore  our  griefs  and  carried  our  sorrows  be  with  you  with  His 
abundant  consolations. 

From  New  York  he  wrote  to  his  wife  in  Amherst : 

Last  evening  I  spent  wholly,  till  11  o'clock  and  after,  with  Dr. 
White,  talking  over  the  whole  seminary,  and  matters  thereto  be- 
longing. He  was  rather  curious  about  some  of  my  theological 
opinions,  and  we  got  into  a  regular  discussion,  of  two  hours,  on 
the  person  of  Christ,  in  which  he  claimed  that  I  advocated  some- 
thing inconsistent  with  the  catechism,  and  I  claimed  that  he 

*  Hon.  Seargent  S.  Prentiss. 


A  mherst.  1^7 

tauglit  what  was  against  the  catechism,  which  was  rather  a  hard 
saying  against  an  old-established  professor  of  theology.  How- 
ever it  was  all  very  well  and  kind  on  both  sides,  and  did  not  pre- 
vent his  urging  my  coming  here. 

This  evening  I  have  been  with  Dr.  Robinson,  he  thinks  he  was 
the  first  to  propose  my  name — is  very  cordial,  .  .  .  has  a 
little  more  doubt  about  living  on  $2,000,  but  believes  there  is  a 
grand  opening  for  church  history  here  and  in  the  country  gen- 
erally, and  so  they  all  say. 

N.  B. — I  have  not  bought  a  book  yet. 

He  \ATote,  August  20th,  to  his  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  F. 
Stearns,  who  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  seminary. 

If  ever  I  needed  a  clear  mind  and  prayed  for  wisdom,  it  is 
surely  now.  There  are  many  things  which  move  me  to  go  there, 
although  I  must  say  that  if  there  was  a  direct  choice  for  the 
same  professorship  there  and  at  Andover,  other  things  being 
equal,  I  should  feel  obliged  to  go  to  Anciover. 

After  alluding  to  some  circumstances  wliicli  had  per- 
plexed him : 

September  2d. 

So  I  have  come  back  to  where  I  was  a  fortnight  ago,  excepting 
that  the  more  I  think  of  leaving  Amherst  and  going  to  New 
York,  the  more  does  there  seem  to  me  to  be  a  hazard  in  respect 
to  position,  reputation,  and  certainty  of  a  comfortable  mainte- 
nance for  my  family. 

And  yet  there  are  many,  very  many  things  about  New  York 
and  the  seminary  which  attract  me  strongly — the  dej^artment 
itself,  the  facilities,  the  environment  in  general ;  and,  with  the 
tone  of  theology  and  the  like,  it  seems  to  me  I  should  pretty 
well  harmonize.  And  I  think  that  I  could  go  into  teaching  in 
that  department  with  a  good  degree  of  zeal.  As  to  salary,  the 
simple  state  of  the  case  is  that,  if  I  remain  in  New  England,  I 
am  rationally  sure  of  being  in  a  much  better  position  as  to  the 
maintenance  of  my  family  (with  what  would  generally  be  con- 
sidered an  equal  position  as  to  usefulness)  than  I  can  be  on  the 
salary  offered  in  New  York. 


158  Henry  Boyiito7i  Smith. 

And  there  are  two  things  about  that  salary  ;  1.  As  to  its  con- 
tinuance after  the  five  years  ;  2.  As  to  its  increase.  At  my  time 
of  life  I  ought  hardly  to  be  expected  to  give  up  my  present  posi- 
tion and  the  prospect  of  a  better  one  in  New  England,  to  go  into  a 
new  field  on  an  uncertainty  of  support  for  more  than  five  years, 
and  with  the  certainty  of  only  a  mere  support.  Is  not  this 
right  ?  Now,  I  dislike,  Brother  Stearns,  as  much  as  anybody 
to  write  about,  or  to  press  such  matters,  but  the  fact  is,  there  is 
considerable  hazard  about  such  a  removal.  There  is  a  liazard  as 
to  my  health  and  that  of  my  family  ;  there  is  the  quitting  of  a 
career  and  a  place  where  I  know  my  position,  for  one  where  it  is 
all  to  be  made  ;  there  are  new  church  associations,  and  a  new  mode 
of  life  altogether.  And  if,  in  addition  to  this,  there  were  a  pros- 
pect of  pecuniary  disadvantage,  it  would  not  be  a  call  that  I 
ought  to  say  yes  to,  unless  the  inward  call  were  very  great,  or 
the  necessity  somewhat  urgent. 

Amherst,  September  13,  1850. 

My  deak  Stearns  :  Yours  is  received ;  thanks  for  it,  its 
kindness,  its  partiality,  and  its  wisdom. 

I  have  about  come  to  a  conclusion,  Avhich  is  that  I  must  go  to 
New  York. 

I  shall  write  soon  to  Mr.  Haines  a  more  decisive  letter.  I  find 
that  I  cannot  decide  against  it.  Tliemany  considerations  brought 
against  it  and  resisted,  have  strengthened  me  in  its  favor.  My 
convictions  are  in  its  favor.  There  are  many,  many  hazards,  but 
I  must,  and  I  think  that  I  can  confide  them  to  the  Lord.  I 
trust  that  I  wish  to  serve  Him,  and  that  I  go  for  His  sake.  I 
pray  that  I  may,  for  His  sake  only, — and  you,  too,  will  pray  for 
me. 

I  am  about  to  rend  many  strong  ties,  and  I  feel  their  force 
stronger  than  ever.  But,  at  the  same  time,  I  have  a  calm  and 
firm  conviction  of  what  seems  to  be  my  duty. 

I  cannot  come  till  December,  about  the  first  week.  It  would 
not  do  to  leave  here  till  then.  I  shall  need  great  indulgence, 
but  I  think  you  will  give  it  to  me. 

Amherst,  September  17,  1850. 
My  dear  George  :  I  thank  you  for  your  letter,  none  the  less 


Amherst. 


159 


welcome,  although  I  ended  my  long  hesitation  on  last  Saturday, 
by  writing  my  acceptance  of  the  appointment.  I  still  wish  that 
you  had  been  the  man,  but  more  of  that  when  we  meet. 

I  go  to  New  York  in  full  view  of  all  the  uncertainties  and  dif- 
ficulties of  the  position,  of  the  hazard,  perhaps,  to  my  health,  of 
the  necessity  of  beginning  almost  anew  among  new  social  and 
ecclesiastical  connections.  There  are  many  unfavorable  things 
about  the  seminary — a  teacher  is  not  felt  as  he  would  be  in  a 
quieter  place — there  are  many  distractions,  it  is  difficult  for  our 
young  men  to  study  there  at  first.  There  will  be  also  some 
pushing  on  the  matter  of  Presbyterianism  from  some  persons, 
though  not  many,  but  these  influential  ;  and  the  laymen  of  the 
Board  will  be  less  Catholic  in  that  matter  than  are  most  of  the 
ministers. 

The  pecuniary  prospects  seem  to  me  only  tolerable.    Such  men 

as  Mr. think  more  of  making  useful  men  than  of  making 

thorough  scholars.  The  literary  character  of  the  seminary  is 
slight,  its  zeal  in  theological  science  is  little,  the  need  of  a  com- 
prehensive range  of  theological  studies  and  of  books  thereto  has 
got  to  be  created.  The  theological  position  is  not  defined.  It 
stands  somewhere  between  Andover  and  Princeton,  just  as  New 
School  Presbyterianism  stands  between  Congregationalism  and 
the  consistent  domineering  Presbyterianism,  and  it  will  be  pressed 
on  all  sides.  Whether  it  is  to  be  resolved  into  these  two  or  to  be 
consolidated  on  its  own  ground  is  still  a  problem. 

These  things  will  make  one's  position  a  little  more  free,  but, 
at  the  same  time,  they  make  it  more  arduous.  I  am  going  there  to 
work — to  work,  I  trust,  for  my  Master.  I  have  resisted  many 
strong  counter-influences  in  order  to  go,  but  I  am  now  settled 
in  my  convictions,  as  clearly  as  I  can  be,  more  decidedly  than  I 
thought  I  should  be. 

I  am  very  glad  you  are  to  be  at  Newark,  that  has  been  a  strong 
additional  inducement. 

We  will  have  nice  times  yet. 

To  Ms  loife  in  Maine : 

Amherst,  September  18,  1850. 

I  feel  more  and  more  convinced  that  I  have  decided  rightly. 
I  should  not  have  thought  that  I  could  have  come  to  so  impor- 


i6o  He7i7y  Boynton  Smith. 

tant  a  decision,  against  so  many  influences,  separating  so  many 
ties,  involving  the  necessity  of  beginning  so  many  things  anew, 
and  been  so  calm  and  confident  in  it.  But  so  it  is,  and  I  trust 
that  I  go,  and  wish  to  go,  for  the  sake  of  my  Master,  to  serve 
Him  in  all  singleness  of  heart  and  with  all  sincerity  and  earnest- 
ness. My  class  in  college  are  doing  finely.  I  never  had  a  class 
begin  with  more  earnestness. 

Amherst,  September  23. 

Mr.  Dana's  *  first  lecture  on  Friday  evening  was  well 
attended,  and  a  very  elevating  lecture,  on  the  right  way  of  using 
literature  for  our  best  culture  ;  that  was  about  the  subject.  His 
voice,  looks,  and  manner  are  in  admirable  unison.  I  have  seen 
him  two  or  three  times. 

Wednesday  evening,  Just  after  supper,  on  the  way  to  the  Fac- 
ulty meeting,  September  25,  1850.     I  received  your  letter  this 

afternoon   with  one  from ,  affectionate  yet  strong,  very, 

against  New  York.  .  .  .  Yesterday  afternoon  I  took  Mr. 
Dana  all  round  to  the  by-places,  down  by  that  little  stream  near 
the  factory,  up  to  Still  Corner,  over  by  a  new  road,  to  Pelham 
Springs  ;  we  had  a  very  fine  ride.  This  evening  I  am  to  talk  in 
Faculty  meeting.  I  mean  to  give  some  account  of  the  persons 
and  lectures  of  Tholuck,  Hengstenberg  and  Neander. 

Mr.  Dana's  lecture  last  evening  was  not  of  so  general  interest 
as  his  former  one,  more  subtle  and  refined,  but  very  full  of 
poetic  thought  and  beautiful  criticism.  His  next  is  on  Woman  ; 
I  will  remember  it  for  you. 

Septemher  27. — I  had  a  very  kind  letter  from  Dr.  Skinner,  begin- 
ning ''You  have  made  us  all  very  happy  by  your  acceptance,"  etc. 
Also  a  letter  from  Dr.  Eoljinson  in  which  he  repeats  the  fact 
that  he  Avas  the  first  to  propose  my  name  for  the  situation,  and 
talks  very  kindly.  Stearns  writes  that  "  my  acceptance  was 
received  with  no  small  enthusiasm." 

Mr.  Dana's  lecture  on  Friday  evening,  was  not  on  Woman,  but 
on  the  Kepresentation  of  violent  deaths  on  the  English  stage, 

*  Mr.  Richard  H.  Dana. 


AmhcrsL  i6i 

■which  he  treated  very  finely,  and  of  which  I  will  tell  you  some 
time.  .  .  .  Do  go  and  hear  Jenny  Lind  in  Boston,  if  you 
can  conveniently,  but  I  don't  believe  you  can ;  no  matter,  we 
will  hear  her  in  New  York. 

Monday  morning,  September  30. — My  dearest  wife  ancl  '^com- 
fortable yoke- fellow"  (as  John  Cotton  addressed  his  beloved 
spouse),  I  am  very  well  this  bright  day,  after  yesterday's  preach- 
ing, and  I  hope  the  day  is  bright  with  you,  and  that  the  bright- 
ness enters  into  your  heart. 

.  .  .  I  had  a  good  day  for  preaching  ;  in  the  morning  the 
sermon  on  the  Outward  and  Inward  Man,  which  I  wrote  week 
before  last,  and  in  the  afternoon  my  Fast  Day  sermon  on  the 
Kingdom  of  God. 

He  noted  in  his  diary  subsequent  lectures  of  Mr.  Dana  : 
"Mr.  Dana  on  Macbeth,  admirable;  Mr.  Dana's  last 
lecture  on  Hamlet,  more  insight  than  all  the  critics." 

He  had  great  enjoyment  in  Mr.  Dana' s  society,  and  in 
long  drives  with  him,  to  the  beautiful  localities  in  the 
neighborhood,  which  were  then  in  their  richest  autumnal 
glory.  A  few  weeks  later  he  received  the  foUow^ing 
letter : 

From  Mr.  Richard  H.  Dana  : 

"Boston,  November  13,  1850. 
"Deae  Sir  :  It  is.  very  gratifying  to  have  you  speak  of  the 
lectures  as  you  do.  I  believe  that  I  never  cared  much  for  noto- 
riety, or  popularity,  I  had  better  call  it ;  but  the  sympathy  of  the 
right-minded  has  always  been  a  comfort  to  me,  and  grows  more 
and  more  so  with  my  years  ;  it  links,  in  a  kind  of  relationship,  my 
fellow  men  and  me,  and  I  thank  you  for  allowing  me  to  reckon  you 
in  the  number  of  these  my  relatives.  How  near  may  it  be  ?  A 
first  cousin  ?  and  if  Mrs.  Smith  will  let  me  count  her  too,  there 
are  more  thanks  and  hearty  ones.  My  daughter  and  I  look  back 
with  much  pleasure  upon  our  stay  in  Amherst,  and  the  frank, 
easy  cordiality  shown  us.  Then,  there  is  your  glorious  scenery  ! 
One  might  at  this  distance  make  it  present,  and  bring  about  him, 
11 


1 62  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

as  he  lies  in  bed,  your  autumnal  woods,  till  his  room  would  be- 
come luminous  with  their  splendor. 

''  Tell  Mrs.  Smith  to  bear  in  mind  the  views  of  our  last  drive, 
that  one  of  these  days,  when  we  come  to  see  the  New  Earth,  we 
may  be  able  to  determine  how  it  compares  with  them.  I  fear 
that  I  shall  hardly  meet  you  in  New  York  the  coming  winter,  as 
my  talked-of  lecturing  in  Baltimore  has  fallen  through. 

*'  Dear  sir,  yours, 

*'EicHAED  H.  Dana." 

To  Ills  wife : 

New  York,  December  5,  1850. 

Mr.  March  told  Yne  last  evening  of  Tutor  Humphrey's  sudden 
death.  How  almost  impossible  it  is  to  grasp  such  a  fact,  and 
make  it  seem  real.  So  suddenly  stricken  down,  so  full  of  life 
and  thought  and  promise  as  he  was,  the  foremost  man  among 
the  late  graduates,  since  his  friend  March.  It  does  seem  as  if  it 
would  make  everybody  who  knew  of  it  pause  and  think.  And 
yet  it  does  not  make  me  fear  about  you,  or  about  myself.  I 
hardly  know  Avhy  it  does  not ;  perhaps  it  ought,  and  I  am  too 
insensible.  But  I  trust  I  am  not  insensible  to  God's  great  good- 
ness to  all  of  us. 

Sunday  evening,  December  8,  1850. — The  children  are  now 
just  about  comfortably  ensconced  in  their  beds,  their  dear,  bright 
faces  and  their  pleasant  voices — such  a  contrast  to  the  quiet  and 
loneliness  of  this  little  chamber.  "What  a  happy  family  we 
ought  to  be.  What  gratitude  we  owe  to  our  Heavenly  Father  ; 
and  as  I  think  of  laboring  here  more  earnestly  and  with  more 
self-devotion  in  the  service  of  my  Master,  I  also  think  with 
increased  gratitude  of  all  that  God  has  given  me.  .  .  . 
What  a  back  ground  of  content  all  this  gives  to  the  picture  I 
form  to  myself  of  my  active  and  pressing  public  life  here — for 
active  and  urgent  it  must  be,  beyond  all  my  former  years.  The 
field  spread  out  before  me  which  I  must  cultivate  is  so  broad, 
and  so  much  depends  on  the  instruction  being  thorough,  and  the 
prosperity  of  the  seminary  is  so  connected  with  the  devotedness 
and  thoroughness  of  its  teachers,  that  I  feel  more  and  more  that 
my  days  and  my  nights  must  be  given  to  unremitted  study.     I 


Amherst.  163 

think  I  shall  like  the  position  here,  and  am  more  and  more  con- 
firmed in  this  feeling  ;  and  I  believe  that  the  general  tone  of 
things  will  be  to  my  liking. 


.  .  .  And  it  is  now  a  very  bright  and  beautiful  Friday 
morning,  December  13,  1850,  and  I  am  very  well  after  preach- 
ing at  the  Mercer  Street  Church  yesterday.  My  subject  was 
"  The  Kingdom  of  God  ; "  which  sermon  I  nearly  re-wrote  on 
Wednesday.  On  Wednesday  evening  I  went  to  hear  Haydn's 
Oratorio  of  the  Messiah.  .  .  .  The  choruses  of  the  Oratorio 
were  admirably  sung.  I  enjoyed  it  much  ;  it  was  really  refresh- 
ing after  the  perpetual  absorption  in  writing  of  the  first  part  of 
this  week.  But  I  am  very  well,  in  spite  of  all  I  have  to  do ; 
feel  elastic  and  ready  to  work  at  any  reasonable  rate.  Next 
Sunday  I  am  to  preach  in  Carmine  Street  Church.  .  .  .  To- 
day I  am  going  to  spend  in  running  about,  chiefly  seeing  the 
libraries,  etc. 

Last  evening  with  Dr.  Skinner  to  Mr.  Halsted's  (one  of  the 
directors  of  the  seminary).  A  sale  of  theological  books  to  take 
place  next  week  was  sj)oken  of,  and  Mr.  H.  said  if  I  would  mark 
what  books  I  thought  it  desirable  to  procure,  he  would  see  about 
getting  them.     Is  not  that  about  right  ? 

Tuesday  afternoon  dined  at  Mrs.  Bruen's  ;  the  Skinners  and 
Mrs.  Mary  Lundie  Duncan,  of  Scotland,  were  present ;  the  lat- 
ter a  noble-looking  woman,  one  of  the  best  specimens  of  Scotch 
ladies.  Monday  evening  I  walked  with  Mr.  March  all  the  even- 
ing. 

I  have  had  three  lectures  and  exercises  in  Church  History 
this  week,  and  am  to  have  another  on  Saturday,  if  Dr.  Cox  does 
not  hold  forth. 

The  Mercer  Street  Church  is  a  delightful  one  to  preach  in, 
and  I  felt  yesterday  just  like  preaching.  After  the  sermon 
quite  a  number  of  the  elders,  etc.,  stopped  and  shook  hands  with 
me  ;  and  also  Llrs.  B.  claimed  an  old  acquaintanceship,  and  gave 
me  an  invitation  to  a  Thanksgiving  dinner. 

I  think  I  am  going  to  like  New  York ;  I  have  got  at  once 
above  all  the  noise  and  bustle,  and  am  able  to  sit  down  as  qui- 
etly and  absorbed  in  my  studies  as  in  quiet  Amherst.     But  my 


164  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

heart  and  thoughts  are  with  you  all,  when  the  j)ressure  of  think- 
ing is  off. 

.     .     Papa's  love  to  dear  little on  her  birthday,  and 

tell  her  that,  though  he  is  very  far  away,  he  thinks  of  her  very 
often,  and  hopes  she  will  have  a  very  happy  birthday. 

Early  in  January,  1851,  he  brought  his  family  from 
Amherst  to  New  York. 

Before  going  to  New  York  to  begin  his  lectures,  he 
received  the  following  characteristic  letter  from  the  ven- 
erable Rev.  Dr.  S.  H.  Cox,  who  was  temporarily  giving 
lectures  on  Church  History  in  the  seminary  : 

"  RusuRBAN,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  November  18,  1850. 

"  Eev.  and  dear  Sir  :  So  busy  and  driven,  ut  solet  liisce  m 
partHus,  I  am  late  in  reply  to  yours  of  last  week.  We  are  glad 
you  are  coming,  especially  I,  your  pro  lioc  vice  locum,  tenens. 
I  have  endeavored  only  to  herald  you  and  prepare  the  way  be- 
fore you,  by  outline  and  generality,  not  ambiguity,  respecting 
the  grand  vertebral  column  of  history,  its  osteology  and  loca 
majora,  especially  ad  hue  in  biblical  and  profane  notices  A.  M. 
and  to  A.D.  They  have  been  very  attentive,  and  I  have  en- 
deavored to  affect  them  with  a  sense  of  the  sine-qua-non  im- 
portance to  ministers  of  its  thorough  and  scientific  acquisition. 
Dr.  Skinner  has  condemned  himself  to  be  one  of  my  hearers  at 
every  lecture.  I  go  on  the  principle  that  premises  must  be  be- 
fore inductions,  and  hence  that  without  knowing  facts,  dates, 
places,  men,  relations,  and  some  circumstances,  they  are  not 
prepared  for  philosophizing  as  historians.  Hence,  I  teach  them 
the  elements,  the  what,  where,  when,  who,  why,  how,  and  the 
connections,  consequences,  antecedents,  and  motives,  as  well  as 
we  can  know  them,  in  order  to  their  masterly  use  of  them  in 
their  subsequent  lucubrations.  But  I  prefer  the  grand  to  the 
minor  relations  and  matters  of  history ;  suppose  Church  His- 
tory to  be  in  re  so  connected  with  secular  history,  since  the 
Church  and  the  world  mutually  affect  and  modify  each  other, 
that  the  former  cannot  be  understood  without  the  latter  ;  and  so 
endeavor  to  fix  in  consecutive  order,  in  their  minds,  those  great 
events,  which,  when  well  understood,  are  seen  to  regulate  the 


Amherst.  165 

others,  and  at  once  to  stimulate  the  student,  and  direct  him,  in 
his  later  researches. 

"  Possibly  I  may  overlap  you  in  continuance  of  one  or  two  lec- 
tures after  your  arrival,  so  as  in  a  sort  to  finish  what  I  have  be- 
gun ;  and  anything  I  can  do  to  facilitate  and  encourage  your 
way,  it  will  give  me  pleasure,  at  your  instance,  to  accord.  Your 
modesty  is  what  we  expect  not  in  fools,  but  consider  it  only  a 
symptom  characteristic  of  your  wisdom.  I  pray  God  and  man 
to  encourage  you  with  compos  sui  et  rei  calmness,  to  undertake 
the  work ;  and  I  shall  tell  the  students  and  others  to  receive  you 
with  all  allowance  in  hoc  novo  genere  docendi ;  albeit,  I  have  no 
fear  that  you  will  do  well,  and  that  on  the  melius  in  'melius 
principle,  as  time  and  experience  shall  ripen  and  perfectionate 
your  competency.  I  shall  not  over- 'charge'  you  at  your  in- 
auguration, and  hope  that  your  own  Address  on  the  occasion, 
for  which  you  shall  have  ample  room,  will  be  the  gratulated 
gem  of  the  scene,  for  hearing  and  for  publication. 

"  Your  friend  and  brother  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

"  S.  H.  Cox." 


1 66  Henry  Boyntoti  Smith, 


CHAPTER   VI. 

NEW  YOEK. — 1860-1859. 

When  Professor  Smith  went  to  New  York,  lie  had 
just  entered  upon  his  thirty-sixth  year.  We  quote  the 
words  of  Rev.  Dr.  Viacent  in  reference  to  this  important 
period : 

''Here  he  maybe  said  to  have  entered  ui^on  the  great  work 
of  his  life.  In  his  later  days  he  said  :  '  My  life  has  been  given 
to  the  seminary  ; '  and  it  is  with  Union  Seminary  that  his  name 
will  be  permanently  identified.  He  commenced  his  duties  with 
an  inaugural  address  upon  *  The  Nature  and  Worth  of  the  Sci- 
ence of  Church  History/  which  commanded  the  admiration  of 
Christian  scholars  throughout  the  land,  by  its  rare  breadth, 
power,  and  brilliancy.  It  revealed,  distinctly  confessed,  indeed, 
the  influence  of  Neander  in  shaping  his  conception  of  church 
history,  besides  betraying  his  clear  discernment  of  the  lack  of 
the  true  historic  spirit  in  America,  and  of  the  consequent  mis- 
conception and  depreciation  of  church  history  in  particular,  by 
American  students.  Under  the  spur  of  this  error,  he  set  him- 
self to  bring  up  church  history  from  the  rear  into  the  first  rank 
of  historical  study.  The  key-note  of  his  lectures  was  '  Church 
history  is  the  true  philosophy  of  human  history;'  or,  as  he  elo- 
quently put  it  in  his  inaugural  address  :  '  He  who  would  reach 
forth  his  hand  to  grasp  the  solemn  urn  that  holds  the  oracles  of 
human  fate,  can  find  it  only  in  the  Christian  Church.'  Such  a 
conception  was  in  itself  magnetic,  and  when  urged  by  his  pro- 
found enthusiasm,  delineated  with  his  wonderful  power  of  crys- 
talline statement,  and  illustrated  by  his  copious  learning,  it  is 
no  wonder  that  it  evoked  a  corresponding  enthusiasm  in  his  stu- 
dents." * 

*  Rev.  Marvin  R,  Vincent,  D.D. — Presbyterian  Quarterly  and  Princeton 
Review,  April,  1877. 


New   York.  167 

''In  church  history,"  wrote  Mr.  Bancroft  to  him,  ''you  have 
no  rival  in  this  hemisphere,  and  you  know  I  am  bound  to  think 
history  includes  dogmatics  and  philosophy  and  theology. " 

In  1853,  after  the  resignation  by  Rev.  James  P.  Wil- 
son, D.D.,  of  the  cliair  of  systematic  theology,  Professor 
Smith  was  requested  by  the  directors  of  the  seminary 
to  give  instructions  during  the  year  in  that  department, 
with  the  promise  of  help  in  his  own.  This  help,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  obtained.  Beginning  in  September, 
he  prepared  and  delivered  regularly  through  the  win- 
ter, lectures  on  Theology,  in  addition  to  his  course  on 
Church  History.  The  senior  class,  at  their  request,  at- 
tended these  lectures,  together  with  the  junior  class,  to 
whom  they  belonged. 

In  October  he  was  nominated  to  the  chair  of  theology, 
to  which  he  was  unanimously  elected  the  following 
March.  He  performed  the  duties  of  the  two  depart- 
ments,* until  the  appointment,  in  June,  1855,  of  Prof. 
Roswell  D.  Hitchcock,  D.D.,  to  the  chair  of  Church 
History. 

"So  closely  intertwined  in  his  studies  was  church  history 
with  theology,"  we  quote  again  from  Dr.  Vincent,  "  that  this 
transfer  could  scarcely  be  called  a  change.  In  both  chairs  he 
taught  theolog}',  in  both  church  history.  In  his  view  neither 
could  be  successfully  studied  without  the  other.  .  .  .  '  The 
most  diligent  investigations  of  Christian  history,'  he  says,  on 
assuming  the  chair  of  theology,  'is  one  of  the  best  incentives  to 
the  wisest  study  of  Christian  theology.  The  plan  of  God  is  the 
substance  of  both  ;  for  all  historic  time  is  but  a  divine  theodicy  ; 
God's  providence  is  its  law,  God's  glory  its  end.  Theology 
divorced  from  history  runs  out  into  bare  abstractions  ;  history 
separated  from  theology  becomes  naturalistic  or  humanitarian 
merely.     The  marriage  of  the  two  makes  theology  more  real  and 

*  He  gave,  besides,  voluntary  extra  instnictions  to  his  students.  During 
the  winter  of  1853-4  he  conducted  weekly  discussions  of  the  Koman  Catholic 
questions,  and  also  a  philosophical  club. 


1 68  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

history  to  be  sacred.     ...     All  history  and  all  theology  meet 
in  the  person  of  tlie  God-man,  our  Saviour.'  " 

He  identified  himself  from  the  first  with  the  interests 
of  the  seminary,  and  labored  for  its  external  as  well 
as  for  its  internal  prosperity.  One  of  his  first  efforts  in 
its  behalf  was  writing  an  ' '  Appeal ' '  to  its  friends,  pre- 
senting "Its  History,  Condition  and  Wants,"  which 
was  read  at  a  large  meeting  of  its  directors  and  other 
friends,  and  was  published  by  their  order.  Besides 
sharing  the  general  aim  for  a  permanent  endowment 
fund,  he  directed  special  efforts  to  the  increase  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  library,  of  which  he  was  at  once  ap- 
pointed librarian  ;  to  the  establishment  of  scholarships  ; 
to  the  providing  of  better  accommodations  for  the  stu- 
dents, and  remunerative  employment,  such  as  teaching 
in  schools  and  families  and  Sunday  schools,  for  such  as 
needed  assistance  during  their  term  of  study. 

His  interest  and  care  for  his  students  was  by  no  means 
confined  to  his  lecture  room.  He  was  always  ready,  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  to  answer  their  questions,  to 
direct  them  in  reading  and  study,  to  lend  them  his 
books,  to  befriend  them  in  any  way  in  his  i)Ower.  One 
summer,  when  much  needing  change,  he  remained  in 
town,  in  order  to  care  for  a  student  sick  with  typhoid 
fever.  In  not  a  few  instances  he  furnished  the  pecuni- 
ary means  of  helping  them  through  hard  places. 

"I  may  well  call  you  friend  and  benefactor,"  wrote  one  of  his 
pupils,  in  1857.  "I  am  comforted  in  thinking  that  I  am  not 
your  only  debtor.  You  have  a  large  fund  of  affection  in  the 
hearts  of  many,  upon  which  you  can  draw  at  pleasure.  I  speak 
from  a  large  acquaintance  with  the  students  and  an  intimate 
access,  when  I  say  that  you  are  regarded  with  an  affection 
amounting  to  enthusiasm." 

We  quote  from  some  reminiscences  of  Rev.  T.  S.  Ham- 
Un,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  : 

''Of  all  the  hundreds  of  Dr.  Smith's  students  there  is  proba- 


New   Yoi^k.  169 

bly  not  one  who  could  not  tell  some  interesting  and  instructive 
incident  about  him.  There  is  surely  not  one  who  does  not  long 
to  do  honor  to  his  memory,  and  to  express  that  jjrofound  sense 
of  gratitude  Avhich  every  young  man  felt  who  was  privileged  to 
sit  at  his  feet  as  a  learner  of  divine  things,  and  to  come  into 
daily  contact  with  his  noble  and  devoted  spirit.  He  was  one  of 
those  somewhat  rare  professors  equally  admired  for  his  marvel- 
ous talent  and  acquirements,  reverenced  for  his  consecrated  and 
holy  life,  and  loved  for  his  ever  thoughtful  kindness  and  deep 
interest  in  all  whom  he  taught. 

*'  He  had  the  love  and  reverence  of  his  colleagues  no  less  than 
of  his  pupils.  Dr.  Skinner,  shortly  before  his  death,  said  to 
some  students  with  whom  he  was  talking  in  the  library,  "Dr. 
Smith  is  an  encyclopaedia  of  knowledge ;  I  do  not  remember 
ever  to  have  asked  him  for  information,  which  he  did  not  either 
give  me  at  once  or  tell  me  where  I  could  find.' 

"The  flashes  of  his  wit  not  unfrequently  illumined  the  lec- 
ture room,  and  set  off  the  noble  solemnity  with  which  he  treated 
the  great  themes  of  theology.  But  these  lose  more  than  balf  of 
their  brightness  in  the  repetition.  The  expression  of  the  eye, 
the  accompanying  gesture,  the  very  position  of  the  body  and 
poise  of  tbe  bead,  were  essential  elements,  some  may  almost  say 
indescribable  elements,  of  the  thing  itself. 

"  Dr.  Smith's  kindness  to  his  pupils,  and  genuine  interest  in 
them,  deserves  particular  mention.  In  this,  as  in  everything 
else,  he  was  never  demonstrative  ;  indeed,  many  students  had 
the  impression  tbat  he  hardly  knew  their  names  or  faces.  The 
fact  was,  however,  that  he  was  acquainted  with  every  member 
of  his  classes,  and  managed  somehow  to  have  pretty  thorough 
information  of  each  one's  habits  and  character  and  prospects. 
Nor  did  he  willingly  lose  sight  of  those  whom  he  had  taught, 
after  they  left  the  seminary  and  entered  upon  the  active  work  of 
the  ministry.  Amid  all  his  countless  labors  he  still  found  time 
to  keep  many  of  them  in  view,  and  to  give  them  encouragement 
and  advice  in  their  arduous  duties."* 

"My  dear  friend,"  wrote,  years  afterward,  one  of  his  early 
students,  now  a  professor  of  theology — "  if  I  had  ventured  to 

*  New  Yorh  Evangelist,  March  8,  1877. 


170  Hejiry  Boynto7t  S7nith, 

break  through  the  restraint  which  has  always  oppressed  me,  I 
should  call  you  also  father  in  Grod.  ...  I  have  never  ceased 
to  recur  with  thankfulness  to  my  years  of  instruction  from  you. 
.  .  .  I,  as  well  as  hundreds  of  your  pupils  besides,  have 
found  inexhaustible  riches  in  those  views  of  our  Lord  which  you 
set  before  us." 

Another,  a  distinguished  preacher  in  a  distant  State, 
wrote  : 

.  .  .  "You  will  pardon  me  for  adding,  in  no  spirit  of  either 
immodesty  or  adulation,  that  if  I  have  done  any  *  good  work,' 
I  owe  it  in  no  small  degree  to  the  inspiration  I  received  under 
your  own  teaching  and  the  contagious  influence  of  your  own 
example.  It  must  be  one  of  your  great  rewards  for  a  life  such 
as  you  have  lived,  to  have  so  many  in  all  climes  who  look  back 
to  your  connection  with  them  as  the  first  inspiration  in  their 
own  heroic  consecration." 

We  add  the  following  recollections  of  Rev.  Thomas 
S.  Hastings,  D.D.,  who  was  one  of  Professor  Smith's 
earliest  students  in  the  seminary,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
best  friends  of  his  last  years  : 

"Professor  Smith  came  to  us  in  my  senior  year,  1850-1. 
The  students  in  general,  except  such  as  were  graduated  at  Am- 
herst College,  knew  of  him  by  rumor  only  ;  though  some  of  the 
class  had  read  his  masterly  address  on  "  The  Relations  of  Faith 
and  Philosophy,"  published  in  "The  Bibliotheca  8acra^^  of 
November,  1849.  From  the  character  of  that  address  our  ex- 
pectations were  raised  very  high.  Students  have  sharp  and 
searching  eyes,  and  reach  quick  and  confident  conclusions. 
From  the  first  time  we  met  him  in  the  lecture  room  Professor 
Smith  was  truly  our  master.  With  a  singular  absence  of  all 
assumption,  with  the  utmost  simplicity  of  manner,  without  any 
apparent  self-consciousness  or  effort,  he  commanded  and  swayed 
the  best  minds  of  the  class  as  they  had  never  been  commanded 
or  swayed  before. 

"At  first  he  lectured  to  us  only  on  church  history.  Tlis  treat- 
ment  of  the  subject  was  so   different  from  anything  we  had 


New   York.  1 7 1 

known  before — so  much  more  scientific  and  thorough,  that  he 
awakened  our  entliusiusm  and  stimulated  us  to  tlie  uttermost. 
We  had  only  one  complaint  to  make  against  him,  and  that  com- 
plaint was  a  compliment  ;  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  take 
notes  of  his  lectures.  His  language  fitted  his  thoughts  so  closely 
that  we  needed  to  get  his  precise  words  and  all  of  them  ;  and 
this  it  was  quite  impossible  for  us  to  do.  We  wrote  with  intense 
effort,  but  always,  in  our  weariness  at  the  close  of  the  lecture- 
hour,  we  felt  we  had  lost  much  because  we  had  not  secured  all 
that  he  had  said. 

"  It  was  our  privilege  to  ask  questions  ;  and  I  remember  that 
I  did  not  know  which  seemed  to  me  the  more  wonderful, — the 
greatness  of  his  learning,  which  was  always  perfectly  at  his  com- 
mand, or  the  acuteness  and  quickness  of  his  analytical  powers. 
K"o  question  surprised  him,  his  answers  dissected  the  subject  so 
thoroughly  that  it  seemed  as  if  he  had  specially  prepared  him- 
self for  each  question. 

*'He  made  us  work  harder  than  we  had  ever  done  before. 
He  marked  out  courses  of  reading  sufficient  to  occupy  us  for 
years,  and  seemed  quietly  to  take  it  for  granted  that  we  would 
accomplish  it  all  in  a  few  weeks.  He  gave  us  a  course  of  lec- 
tures on  the  History  of  Doctrine  in  which  the  qualities  of  his 
mind  were  finely  revealed.  We  delighted  in  the  clear,  discrimi- 
nating, philosophical  way  in  which,  with  compact  and  sinewy 
language  he  set  before  us  the  different  shades  of  theological 
opinions.  We  discovered,  little  by  little,  the  type  of  his  own 
theology,  and  I  was  charmed  with  it  ;  it  was  so  conservative, 
and  it  was  so  preeminently  Christian  j  Christ  was  central  and 
supreme  in  it. 

''Professor  Smith  instituted  what  was  then  a  novel  course 
of  lectures  on  '  Theological  Encyclopaedia,'  the  general  design 
of  which  was  to  give  us  a  systematic  view  of  the  different 
branches  of  study  in  their  relations  and  connections,  and  to  in- 
dicate the  best  books  of  reference  in  the  several  departments.  I 
am  sure  there  was  not  a  man  in  the  class  that  was  not  amazed  at 
the  revelation  which  this  course  gave  us  of  the  variety  and 
breadth  and  thoroughness  of  Professor  Smith's  reading.  He 
seemed  to  have  read  everything  and  to  forget  nothing.  How 
proud  we  were  of  him  ! 


172  Hejiry  Boynton  Smiih. 

"  In  those  days  he  preached  quite  frequently  in  the  different 
pulpits  of  the  city.  Those  who  heard  him  only  in  his  later 
years  can  have  but  little  idea  of  the  impression  which  his  preach- 
ing made  when  he  first  came  among  us  ;  it  was  so  different  in 
style  and  tone  from  what  we  had  been  accustomed  to  hear  that 
it  awakened  a  deep  interest  among  a  large  number  of  our  most 
intelligent  people;  and  they,  as  well  as  the  students,  followed 
him  from  one  church  to  another,  unwilling  to  lose  any  of  his 
teachings.  His  sermons  were  not  merely  intellectual — they  were 
that,  and  a  great  deal  more ;  they  were  simple,  spiritual,  practi- 
cal, and  full  of  quiet  power ;  he  spoke  as  a  master  of  his  subject, 
and  commanded  attention  by  the  evident  depth  and  sincerity  of 
his  convictions.  I  remember  persuading  a  clergyman  from  the 
country,  a  man  of  mature  years  and  eminent  ability,  to  go  with 
me  to  hear  Professor  Smith  preach.  I  knew  very  well  that  this 
clergyman,  who  had  published  a  good  deal  and  was  proud  of  his 
learning  and  ability,  looked  upon  my  enthusiasm  as  merely  boyish. 
When  the  professor  rose  in  tiie  pulpit,  my  friend,  who  was  tall 
and  stately  and  imposing  of  jDresence,  while  the  jDrofessor  was 
slight  in  person,  and  without  any  oratorical  assumption,  turned 
upon  me  a  look  of  disappointment  not  unmingled  with  con- 
tempt ;  but  the  first  sentence  arrested  his  attention,  and  as  the 
discourse  advanced,  he  leaned  forward  with  open  mouth  and  un- 
disguised wonder,  quite  unconscious  that  I  was  watching  him  in 
malicious  triumph.  When  the  sermon  was  ended  my  friend 
turned  to  me  and  said,  '  I  once  heard  of  an  old  man  who  was 
accustomed  to  say,  ''when  I  hear  ordinary  preachers  I  have  no 
difficulty  in  following  them,  but  when  I  hear  Jonathan  Edwards 
preach  I  always  w^ant  to  take  off  my  coat ! "  One  wants  his  coat 
off  when  he  hears  your  Professor  Smith  ! '  The  text  of  the  ser- 
mon was — 'Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,  lay  hold  on  eternal 
life.' 

"I  stayed  a  year  after  my  graduation  and  studied  with  him 
privately,  in  company  with  two  of  my  classmates,  and  I  can  truly 
say  that  I  have  felt  all  through  my  ministry  that  I  owe  more  to 
his  teaching  than  I  can  ever  express." 

Outside  of  the  seminary,  his  relations  to  the  church, 
and  his  influence  in  it,  were  constantly  widening.    At  the 


New  Yoi^k.  173 

time  when  lie  began  his  lectures  in  the  seminary,  he 
began,  also,  an  almost  continuous  course  of  preaching 
on  Sundays.  His  Thanksgiving  sermon  in  the  Mer- 
cer Street  Church  was  heard  with  so  much  interest  that 
he  was  invited,  a  few  days  later,  to  sui:)ply  regularly  its 
vacant  pulpit.  This  he  did  until  the  installation,  in 
April,  1851,  of  his  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss,  on  which 
occasion  he  preached  the  sermon.  After  that  for  many 
months  he  officiated  in  the  Tenth  Presbyterian  Church, 
at  the  weekly  evening  service,  as  well  as  on  Sundays. 
He  preached  almost  every  Sunday  during  this  year,  and 
almost  as  frequently  during  several  succeeding  years,  in 
scores  of  churches  in  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  besides 
in  Philadelphia  and  many  other  places. 

One  of  his  students  in  these  years,*  writes  thus  of 
Professor  Smith's  "  Prayer-meeting  Talks  :" 


"At  the  time  mentioned,  Dr.  George  L.  Prentiss  was  pastor  in 
'  Mercer  Street '  Church,  between  whom  and  Dr.  Smith  was 
marked  likeness  of  spirit  and  a  very  cordial  sympathy.  On  be- 
coming a  member  of  that  church  the  writer  found  Dr.  Smith  a 
regular  attendant  upon  its  prayer-meeting,  notwithstanding  the 
pressure  of  duties  which  must  have  been  great  in  those  days.  In 
the  prayer-meeting  there  was  nothing  apparent  to  designate  the 
doctor  of  tlieology  but  that  charming  simplicity  of  manner  and 
diction,  which  every  student  in  the  Seminary  recalls,  as  charac- 
teristic of  all  his  ministrations,  whether  in  the  'chapel'  or 
class-room,  or  in  the  daily  devotions  of  the  institution.  There 
was  an  utter  absence  of  pretentious  mannerism,  or  assumption, 
or  of  aught  else  in  manner,  that  could  bespeak  a  conscious  dif- 
ference between  the  great  doctor  and  the  humblest  member  of 
the  church.  I  seem  to  see  him  now  in  his  accustomed  seat. 
His  prayer-meeting  talks  (for  he  nearly  always  spoke)  were  not 
learned  disquisitions,  nor  philosophical  speculations,  nor  yet 
wei'C  they  critical  expositions ;  yet  has  the  writer  often  in   the 

intervening  years  recalled  them,  each  a  clear-cnt  and  well  defined 

_ 1^ —  - 

*  Rev.  C.  S.  Armstrong,  D.D.,  New  York  Evangelist,  August  2, 1877. 


1 74  Hemy  Boynton  Smith. 

train  of  thonglit,  wedded  to,  or  rather,  growing  out  of,  some  pas- 
sage of  The  Word  ;  not  as  if  gotten  up  for  the  occasion,  but  as 
if  wrouglit  out  in  a  heart  experience,  and  called  up  spontane- 
ously. Hence  these  talks  were  always  earnest,  and  so  found  our 
ears  and  our  hearts,  yet  in  that  spirit  of  naive  simplicity,  that 
caused  their  influence  to  flow  in  upon  us  quite  unconsciously, 
and  we  went  away  scarcely  knowing  that  we  had  been  impressed  ; 
but  time,  which  proves  many  things,  proved  also  the  genuine- 
ness of  these  impressions,  for  the  passage  of  the  Word  used 
twenty  years  ago  is  still  sufficient  to  recall  the  spirit  and  impres- 
sion of  the  hour.  Sometimes  the  entire  traju  of  thought  lingers 
like  a  precious  perfume." 

Among  his  more  public  services  for  the  church  during 
these  years,  were  numerous  ordination  and  other  occa- 
sional sermons,  including  a  sermon  before  the  Maine 
General  Conference  of  Churches  in  May,  1855,  and  a  ser- 
mon on  Inspiration,*  preached  before  the  Synod  of  New- 
York  and  New  Jersey,  in  October,  1856,  which  was  pub- 
lished by  order  of  the  Synod,  He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  meetings  of  his  Presbytery  and  Synod,  and  pre^jared 
the  Resolutions  on  Slavery,  which  were  adopted  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Fourth  Presbytery  of  New  York,  in  1857.  f 
He  performed  important  work  in  several  of  the  annual 
meetings  of  the  N.  S.  Greneral  Assembly.  In  1853,  at  its 
meeting  in  Buffalo,  he  presented  a  paper  in  defence  of 
the  validity  of  Roman  Catholic  Baptism,  which  was  fol- 
lowed, the  next  year,  in  Philadelphia,  by  his  minority 
report  on  the  same  subject.:]:  A  long  and  earnest  discus- 
sion followed  the  reading  of  this  paper,  after  which  the 
subject  was  indefinitely  postponed,  and  not  resumed 
until  1876. 

In  1855  he  delivered,  in  St.  Louis,  before  the  General 

*  He  read  at  this  time,  with  much  interest,  Mr.  William  Lee's  lectures  on 
Inspiration,  which,  under  his  supervision,  were  republished,  the  next  year, 
by  Messrs.  Carter. 

f  See  Appendix  (A). 

:j:  Appendix  (B). 


New  York.  1 75 

Assembly,  by  request  of  the  Presbyterian  Historical 
Society,  a  discourse  on  tlie  Reformed  Churches  of  Europe 
and  America,  He  also  presented  the  Report  of  the 
Committee  on  Education,  and  was  earnest  in  the  discus- 
sion on  Church  Extension. 

He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  Chicago, 
1858,  before  which  he  preached  the  annual  sermon  on 
Publication. 

Amid  all  his  work  in  the  Seminary  and  in  the  Church 
his  literary  labors  were  manifold.  His  pen  was  never  at 
rest.  He  was  constantly  at  work  on  translations,  reviews 
of  books,  sometimes  elaborate  articles  for  different  peri- 
odicals :  for  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  Norton'' s  Literary 
Gazette,  the  London  Evangelical  Cltristendom,  and  for 
the  Presbyterian,  the  Neio  Brunswick,  the  Methodist, 
the  Baptist,  and  the  Southern  Quarterly  Remews.  In 
1853,  by  request  of  the  editors  of  the  New  York  Evan- 
gelist, he  became,  as  he  continued  to  be  through  his  life, 
a  frequent  contributor  to  that  weekly  paper.  He  also, 
in  the  later  years  of  this  period,  wrote  a  number  of  arti- 
cles for  Appleton^  s  and  McClintock''  s  Cyclopedias. 

Some  time  after  going  to  New  York,  by  arrangement 
with  Messrs.  Harper  and  Brothers,  he  began  the  revision 
of  the  Edinburgh  translation  of  Dr.  Gieseler's  Church 
History,  incorporating  into  it  the  changes  and  additions 
of  the  latest  German  edition,  and  giving  important 
"Additional  Notes  and  References"  of  his  own.  The 
first  of  the  five  volumes  was  published  in  1857 :  the  last 
was  unfinished  at  his  death.* 

In  1851  he  began  to  collect  materials  for  his  Chrono- 
logical Tables  of  Church  History.  It  was  not,  however, 
until  two  years  later,  that  he  set  himself,  continuously, 
to  this  laborious  task. 

*  Before  the  death  of  Professor  Smith,  a  portion  of  this  last  vohime  was, 
at  his  request,  translated  by  Rev.  Lewis  F.  Steams.  The  work  has  since 
been  completed  by  Miss  Mary  A.  Robinson,  and  published  by  Messrs.  Har- 
per and  Brothers,  1880. 


1 76  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

From  1851  to  1858  lie  averaged  more  than  one  literary 
address  each  year,  at  the  commencements  of  the  differ- 
ent New  England  colleges,  Williams,  Dartmouth,  Am- 
herst, Yale,  Bowdoin,  and  Middletown.  In  1857  he 
gave  an  address  before  the  Collegiate  and  Historical 
Society  in  Boston. 

By  request  of  Rev,  Gorham  D.  Abbott,  D.D.,  he 
began,  in  the  autumn  of  1855,  to  give  instruction 
by  lectures  to  the  young  ladies  of  the  Spingler  Institute. 
These  were  continued,  year  after  year,  till  the  close  of 
1858,  and  embraced  courses  on  the  Intellectual  Powers, 
History,  Esthetics,  Mythology,  the  Evidences  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  Moral  Philosophy.  They  were  prepared 
as  thoroughly,  and  delivered  as  forcibly  as  if  each  were 
his  favorite  department  of  study.  In  later  years  several 
of  these  courses  were  repeated  at  other  seminaries  in  the 
city. 

In  1858  and  1859  he  was  on  a  committee  appointed  by 
the  managers  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  for  the  col- 
lation of  the  different  editions  of  the  Bible,  and  on  a 
sub-committee,  which  held  weekly  meetings  for  private 
examination  and  collation.  The  previous  revision  made 
by  the  committee  comprising  Drs.  Robinson,  Storrs, 
Spring,  Yermilye,  etc.,  had  been  rejected,  on  account  of 
complaints,  from  many  quarters,  that  it  had  gone  to  an 
extent  unauthorized  by  the  avowed  objects  of  the  Amer- 
ican Bible  Society,  and  was  a  violation  of  its  constitu- 
tion. The  work  assigned  to  Professor  Smith  and  his 
colleagues  was  a  collation  of  this  revised  edition  with 
the  best  English  editions.  They  held  more  than  eighty 
meetings,  of  from  two  to  four  hours  each.  Their  colla- 
tion was  completed  and  adopted  by  the  Board  in  Janu- 
ary, 1860,  the  result  being,  with  many  retentions,  essen- 
tially a  restoration  to  the  old  standard  ;  it  has  been  since 
and  is  now  the  authorized  issue  of  the  American  Bible 
Society.  "With  the  work  of  the  previous  committee," 
writes  the  present  secretary,  "they  gave  the  Society  as 


New   York.  177 

perfect  a  Bible  as  could  be  made  merely  by  colla- 
tion." 

He  was  one  of  the  originators  and  most  active  and 
interested  members  of  the  "Critic,"  a  club  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  philosophical  questions,  which  met  regularly 
for  several  winters,  among  whose  members  were  Mr. 
Bancroft,  Mr.  George  Ripley,  Chancellor  Crosby,  Pro- 
fessor Botta,  and  other  eminent  scholars.  Professor 
Smith's  "metaphysical  expositions,"  are  said  to  have 
been  "  the  main  feature  of  these  meetings."  * 

Of  occurrences  outside  of  his  work,  during  these 
years,  there  are  but  few  to  be  related.  The  death,  in 
July,  1853,  of  his  beloved  father,  who  had  long  been 
failing  in  health,  was  the  one  that  touched  him  most 
deeply.  During  the  twelve  days  preceding  the  delivery 
of  his  address  at  Yale  College  on  the  Philosophy  of 
History,  while  writing  it,  alone  in  New  York,  he  v/as 
twice  summoned  to  Maine,  first  by  the  increased  illness, 
and  afterward  by  the  unexpected  death  of  his  father. 
It  was  too  late  to  procure  a  substitute  at  Yale,  as  he 
proposed.  After  hurriedly  completing  his  preparation 
in  Northampton,  on  his  return  from  the  funeral,  he 
went  to  New  Haven,  where  although  he  was  received 
with  considerate  sympathy,  he  was  barely  able  to  de- 
liver the  address.  In  his  diary,  which  has  few  allusions 
to  his  own  "states,"  he  wrote  that  evening,  almost 
illegibly,  "About  worn  out,"  f 

During  his  summer  vacations,  he  usually  remained 
awhile  in  town,  busied  with  library  work  during  the 
week,  and  with  pulpit  engagements  on  Sundays.     He 


*New  York  World,  February  8,  1877. 

f  This  address,  delivered  again  the  same  year,  before  the  Bowdoin  branch 
of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  was  republished  in  the  British  and  Foreign 
Evangelical  Review,  in  1855.  Senator  Seward  wrote  to  Prof.  Smith  re- 
specting it :  "I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your  very  profound  and  admirable 
address  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society  of  Yale  College,  which  I  have 
read  with  great  profit,  as  I  trust." 
13 


178  Henry  Boynton  Sinith. 

then  went  witli  liis  family  to  some  quiet  place  where  he 
could  lead  a  free,  unconventional  life.  His  buoyant 
temperament  enabled  him  easily  to  throw  off  care,  for- 
get work,  and  give  himself  uj)  to  enjoyment.  He  pre- 
ferred going  to  out-of-the-way  places,  and  when  once  in 
the  woods  or  on  the  water,  he  was  as  merry  and  free  as 
a  boy. 

His  summer  vacation  in  1854  included  a  journey  of 
romantic  interest.  By  invitation,  he  joined,  with  his 
wife,  a  large  excursion  party  to  celebrate  the  completion 
of  the  Chicago  and  Rock  Island  railroad,  which  opened 
the  first  direct  communication  between  the  great  lakes 
and  the  Mississippi  River.  The  large  company,  at  hou- 
sand  strong,  started  from  Chicago,  and  went  over  the 
new  road  through  the  prairies,  then  in  the  full  beauty 
of  early  summer,  to  Rock  Island,  its  western  terminus. 
At  night  five  well-appointed,  crowded  steamers,  with 
flags,  music  and  illuminations,  started  in  line,  and  went 
on,  day  after  day,  up  the  solitary  river,  on  whose  banks, 
here  and  there,  were  to  be  seen  Indians  with  their  smok- 
ing wigwams.  At  Fort  Snelling  a  reception  was  given 
to  the  party,  at  which  President  FiUmore,  Mr.  Ban- 
croft, and  others  responded  to  the  welcome. 

In  18.")7  he  took,  also  by  invitation,  another  journey 
to  the  West,  on  a  similar  occasion,  the  celebration  of 
the  opening  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  railroad. 
Leaving  the  large  company  at  St.  Louis,  he  spent  a 
w^eek  in  hunting  up  his  hitherto  unknown  relatives,  the 
brothers  and  sisters  of  his  father,  and  their  children,  in 
different  towns  in  Illinois.  He  met  old  friends,  too,  in 
several  places,  and  returned  home  full  of  enthusiasm  for 
the  "Great  West." 

In  the  spring  of  1858  he  made  the  purchase  of  the 
house  in  Twenty-fifth  street,  which  was  his  home  for 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  took  special  pleasure  in 
fitting  up  the  study,  which  became  so  dear  a  spot  to 
himself  and  to  his  friends,  the  room  associated  with  his 


New  York.  179 

manifold  labors,  and  his  highest  delights  of  study  and 
companionshii).  '•'• 

In  the  autumn  of  1858  the  editorship  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Quarterly  Mevieio,  i)ublished  in  Philadelphia,  was 
proi^osed  to  him.  A  similar  offer  in  regard  to  the  pro- 
jected Puritan  Review  had  been  made  to  him  from  New 
England.  Much  deliberation  and  consultation  resulted 
in  the  starting  of  the  American  Theologid^al  Review^  of 
which  he  was  appointed  the  New  York  editor.  This 
journal  was  intended  to  represent  and  defend  what  was 
known  as  the  old  school  of  New  England  theology, 
while  it  was  equally  opposed  to  the  extreme  views  of 
"old  school"  theologians.  It  was  not  intended  to  be 
denominational,  and,  while  theological  in  its  main  pur- 
pose, it  was  open  to  discussions  on  literature,  iDhiloso- 
phy  and  science,  in  their  relations  to  Christianity.  The 
first  number  was  issued  in  January,  1859,  by  Mr.  Scrib- 
ner.f 

His  contributions  to  this  quarterly  are  well  known. 
A  special  feature  of  it  was  his  carefully-prepared  digest 
of  literary  intelligence  from   all  countries.     His  book- 

*  "  Ah  !  those  hours  in  that  library  !  Who  that  has  enjoyed  them  can 
ever  lose  their  fragrance  ?  Who  can  forget  that  room,  walled  and  double 
walled  with  books,  the  baize-covered  desk  in  the  corner  by  the  window, 
loaded  with  the  fresh  philosophic  and  theologic  treasures  of  the  European 
press,  and  the  little  figure  in  the  long  gray  wrapper  seated  there,  the  figure 
so  frail  and  slight  that,  as  one  of  his  friends  remarked,  it  seemed  as  though 
it  would  not  be  much  of  a  change  for  him  to  take  on  a  spiritual  body  ;  the 
beautifully  moulded  brow,  crowned  with  its  thick,  wa\-y,  sharply-parted,  iron- 
gray  hair,  the  strong  aquiline  profile,  the  restless  shifting  in  his  chair,  the 
nervous  pulling  of  the  hand  at  the  moustache,  as  the  stream  of  talk  widened 
and  deepened,  the  occasional  start  from  his  seat  to  pull  down  a  book  or  to 
search  for  a  pamphlet,  how  inseparably  these  memories  twine  themselves 
with  those  of  high  debate  and  golden  speech  and  converse  on  the  themes  of 
Christian  philosophy  and  Christian  experience  ! " — Rev.  Marvin  R.  Yin- 
cent,  D.D. 

f  After  the  death  of  Rev.  Dr.  Wallace,  editor  of  the  Philadelphia  Presby- 
terian Quarterhj  Review,  new  arrangements  were  made,  and  the  two  reviews 
were  consolidated  in  1863,  with  the  title  of  The  American  Presbyterian  and 
Theological  Review, 


i8o  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

notices  were  often  elaborate  criticisms  of  subjects  rather 
than  of  books,  and,  as  it  has  been  said,  would,  of  them- 
selves, form  a  valuable  volume.* 

Amidst  all  the  consultation,  correspondence,  and  jour- 
neying involved  in  the  starting  of  the  Review,  he  was 
also,  "terribly  x)ressed,"  as  he  wrote,  with  the  last  re- 
vision and  printing  of  his  chronological  tables ;  he  also 
preached  several  ordination  and  other  special  sermons, 
and  drew  up  for  his  presbytery  the  report  of  an  over- 
ture to  the  General  Assembly  on  the  revision  of  the  Book 
of  Discipline. 

It  became  very  evident  that  the  strain  of  these  multi- 
plied labors  was  too  great.  At  the  close  of  the  semi- 
nary year,  in  May,  he  received  an  invitation  to  accom- 
pany his  friend.  Rev.  J.  S  Gallagher,  on  a  summer  trip 
to  Europe.  This  opportune  proposal,  enforced  as  it  was 
by  the  kind  generosity  of  several  friends,  was  thank- 
fully accepted. 

He  worked  upon  his  tables  until  almost  the  hour  of 
embarkation  on  the  steamer,  and  then  was  obliged  to 
leave  a  portion  of  the  proof-reading  to  c  th3r  eyes. 

On  the  first  day  of  June  he  finished  the  index,  which, 
comprising  more  than  twenty  thousand  references,  had 
been  in  itself  no  small  labor.  On  the  third  he  wrote  the 
preface,  thus  completing  the  labor  of  seven  years.     In 

*"He  early  revealed  the  qualities  of  a  great  reviewer.  Rapidly  but 
firmly  he  grasped  the  main  positions  of  a  book,  stated  them  with  the  nicest 
precision,  discerned  at  a  glance  their  relations  to  other  discussions  of  the 
same  subject,  as  well  as  to  the  principles  of  the  subject  itself,  and  so  fixed 
the  true  relative  place  and  value  of  the  volume.  He  knew  ioohs  well,  but  he 
knew  subjects  even  better  ;  and  it  was  his  knowledge  of  subjects  which  im- 
parted the  chief  value  to  his  estimate  of  books.  .  .  .  His  skill  in  de- 
tecting fallacy  was  only  equaled  by  his  felicity  in  exposing  it.  His  ex- 
haustive analysis  made  short  work  with  defects  of  method.  His  sarcasm 
was  like  a  Damascus  blade,  yet  he  was  far  removed  from  the  littleness  of 
the  empirical  critic,  whose  ideal  of  criticism  exhausts  itself  in  picking  flaws. 
He  was  just  and  kindly  to  books  as  to  men.  If  he  could  censure  severely, 
he  could  also  praise  ;  and  he  praised  as  one  who  delighted  to  find  merit  and 
truth,  even  in  an  antagonist's  work." — Rev.  Marvin  R.  Vincent,  D.D. 


New   York.  1 8 1 

the  evening  of  the  same  day  he  "wrote  notices  of  a 
dozen  or  more  books,  eight  letters,  made  some  visits, 
settling  up  affairs  generally."  On  the  fourth  of  June  he 
sailed,  in  company  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gallagher,  on  the 
steamer  City  of  Baltimore  for  Queenstown. 
The  following  letters  belong  to  this  period. 

From  Mr.  Richard  H.  Dana : 

Boston,  April  9,  1851. 

"  My  dear  Sir  :  From  the  little  broken  talk  which  we  had 
together  about  the  church  and  its  sacramental  character,  you 
will  not  expect  me  to  go  with  you  to  some  of  the  conclusions  to 
which  your  address  may  lead,  yet  you  will  readily  believe  me 
when  I  say  that  I  have  been  much  interested  in  reading  it  over, 
and  have  been  struck  with  its  method,  thoughtfulness  and  com- 
prehensiveness. I  doubt  not  your  succeeding  in  deepening  and 
widening  the  current  of  thought  in  so  much  of  the  region  as 
comes  under  your  supervision,  and  setting  it,  in  the  main,  in  the 
right  direction.  I  believe,  too,  that  you  will  infuse  a  kinder 
spirit  into  theologians  than  they  have  been  wont  to  be  moved  by ; 
and  that  alone  would  be  no  little  gain. 

"  Mrs.  Smith  can  hardly  imagine  how  often  I  have  before  my 
eyes  the  meadows  and  mountains,  woods  and  waters  which  we 
all  saw  together  in  our  pleasant  drives  last  autumn.  It  verily 
makes  me  quite  sad  whenever  I  remember  that  we  are  not  to 
look  upon  them  together  any  more — as  sad,  at  least,  as  so  old  a 
man  as  I  am  \&  privileged  to  be  about  such  things.  The  lack  of 
a  cheerful  old  age  is  called  a  heavy  affliction.  What,  then,  shall 
we  say  of  an  old  age  that  has  grown  incapable  of  sadness  ? — of 
such-like  sadness  I  mean.  May  God  have  you  both  in  his  tender 
keeping. 

"EicHARD  H.  Dana." 

To  Mr.  Richard  H.  Dana  : 

New  York,  Julj',  1851. 

.  .  .  I  have  been  laboring  this  last  winter  most  devoutly  in 
my  new  calling, — new,  in  the  way  of  teaching,  but  old  to  my 
thoughts  cind  studies,  as  well  as  decidedly  old,  for  the  most  part, 
in  itself.     But  none  the  worse  for  that  last,  though,  I  trust,  not 


1 82  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

quite  so  good  as  what  is  still  to  be.  I  wonder  where  Cicero — for 
I  think  the  sentence  is  from  him — got  that  noble  idea  :  omnia 
sunt  sed  tempore  ahsunt  ;  for  it  is  certain  that  it  never  came  up 
of  itself  in  his  own  brain,  much  of  an  one  as  he  doubtless  had. 
It  is  an  idea  from  which  to  write  a  poem,  or  a  history  or  a 
prophecy,  or  a  philosophy,  or  a  real  live  system  of  theology.  I 
have  been  tempted  to  quote  it  several  times,  on  public  occasions, 
but  never  did  but  once,  and  never  heard  that  it  took  there,  ex- 
cepting that,  perhaps,  the  Latin  took  some  people  by  surprise. 
But  it  is  the  very  thing  for  a  professor  of  church  history.  It 
illuminates  the  past,  and  disentangles  the  present,  and  helps  us 
look  forward  with  something  of  rational  confidence. 

I  have  given  up  Mosheim,  and  all  that  lumber  in  my  teach- 
ings, as  a  text-book,  and  am  trying  to  get  at  the  real  things  in 
church  history,  or  rather  to  tell  the  students  how  to  get  at  them. 
My  general  idea  is  to  make  the  burden  of  my  teachings  fall  upon 
the  history  of  doctrines,  at  least  as  far  as  my  lectures  go.  An- 
other object  I  aim  at  is,  to  habituate  the  students  to  proper  his- 
torical investigations.  I  do  not  believe  that  one  in  ten  of  the 
graduates  of  our  colleges  knows  any  historical  facts  under  the 
true  idea  of  such  facts,  or,  in  other  words,  knows  what  makes  a 
fact  to  be  historical. 

But  all  this  is  "paying  that  debt  which" — somebody  says — 
**  every  man  owes  to  his  profession,"  in  rather  an  unseasonable  way. 
.  .  .  We,  too,  have  lost  Amherst,  in  its  daily  influence,  and 
just  now  we  begin  to  yearn  for  it,  children  and  all,  though  the 
children  are  unconscious  of  the  meaning  of  their  wants.  We 
shall  soon  be  there.  A  summer  vacation  of  three  months  is  one 
of  the  blessings  of  this  seminary.  We  take  to  our  way  of  life 
here  quite  kindly,  all  well,  a  good  many  acquaintances,  a  few 
friends,  and  the  presence  of  occupation  ;  and,  when  tired  of  oc- 
cupation, there  are  always  some  facilities  for  distraction.  New 
York  is  a  better  place  than  I  thought  for,  and,  if  it  grows,  it 
must  improve  in  intellect  and  sentiment.  Prentiss  has  come 
here  too,  which  is  to  me  a  decided  comfort. 

.  .  .  But  why  am  I  telling  you  all  these  things  ?  I  hardly 
knoAV,  except  that  I  felt  like  it,  and  that  I  wanted  in  some  way 
to  express  my  thanks  for  the  real  kindness  of  your  letter,  which 
I  felt  so  much. 


New   York.  183 

Your  son  seems  to  me  to  be  doing  a  good  battle  for  a  noble 
and  needed  Avork,  and  I  trust  that  the  Lord  will  give  him  pros- 
perity.    With  the  highest  regard, 

Most  truly  yours, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

(Translation.) 

From  Professor  Tholuck  to  H.  B.  8.  : 

"Halle,  July  20,  1851. 

"My  dearest  Henry:  Let  me  call  you  so,  for  so  you  stand, 
as  the  nearest  friend  in  my  heart  and  my  wife's.  The  memories 
of  one  of  the  most  important  periods  of  my  life  and  hers  are 
linked  Avith  memories  of  you  (I  did  not  keep  a  diary  but  she 
did,  in  Kissingen,  Gastein,  etc.)  ;  and  I  am  often  animated  by 
the  thought  that  our  images  come  freshly  to  your  mind  in  many 
an  hour  of  quiet  reflection.  It  is  not  probable  that  we  shall  see 
each  other's  faces  again  ;  yet  it  may  be  God's  purpose  that  in  a 
second  political  earthquake  in  Germany,  the  friends  of  the  king 
and  of  the  Gospel  may  have  to  seek  an  asylum  on  American 
shores,  as  now  do  the  enemies  of  the  king  and  of  religion.  But 
the  bond  of  friendship  and  communion  between  us  shall  never 
be  broken. 

"Ulrici  and  I  have  taken  hearty  pleasure  in  your  treatises. 
They  are  healthful  precursors  of  a  beautiful  theological  future 
for  America.  With  us,  indifference  to  religion  in  the  masses  is 
so  much  on  the  increase  that  we  have  almost  a  lack  of  preachers. 
Twenty  years  ago  we  had,  in  Konigsberg  and  Breslau,  two  hun- 
dred theological  students  ;  now  in  Konigsberg  thirty-seven,  in 
Breslau  fifty-one  ;  in  Berlin  formerly,  two  hundred  and  fifty, 
now  one  hundred,  and  fifty  ;  in  Halle,  in  your  time,  seven  hun- 
dred, now  three  hundred  and  twenty  ;  and  this  goes  on  cres- 
cendo. The  number  of  literary  works  is  also  diminishing,  they 
being  less  valued,  and  all  our  theological  periodicals,  excepting 
Eeuter's  Repertorium,  have  stopped,  for  the  new  periodical  of 
Nitzsch  and  Miiller,  in  Berlin,  is  not  strictly  theological  and 
gives  no  reviews.     .     .     . 

"  That  you  and  your  dear  wife  will  have  a  remembrance  in 


184  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

my  wife's  heart  and  my  own,  so  long  as  we  journey  upon  the 
earth,  I  can  assure  you. 

*'  Your  truly  attached, 

^'A.  Tholuck." 

(Translation.) 

Prof.  A.  Tholuck  to  H.  B.  8.  : 

"Halle,  November  10,  1853. 

"  My  deakest  Friend  :  So  numerous  are  the  proofs  of  your 
dear  remembrance,  and  the  living  messengers  which  you  send 
me,  that  I  feel  impelled  to  send  again  a  few  lines  to  you. 

"  Be  assured  first  of  all,  that  I  and  my  wife  rejoice  heartily  in 
every  token  from  your  hand  and  heart,  and  also  in  every  coun- 
tryman of  yours  who  brings  us  anything  of  the  Smith  [Smith- 
schen]  spirit. 

"■  As  to  myself  and  my  wife,  I  can  only  say,  it  has  been  with 
us  till  now,  according  to  the  beautiful  expression  in  the  English, 
not  in  the  German,  Bible  :  '  So  as  thy  days,  so  shall  be  thy 
strength.'  My  eye,  too,  avails  for  its  old  use,  although  there 
are  spots  before  it,  and  it  is  somewhat  less  strong.  My  work  in 
the  University  goes  on.     .     .     . 

*'  In  religious  matters,  Luthcranism  is  becoming  more  univer- 
sal among  our  clergy,  and  our  Minister  of  Instruction  and  Let- 
ters is  inclined  in  that  same  direction,  so  that  old  Lutherans  are 
now  settled  in  all  our  consistories,  and  the  clergy  in  Pomerania 
have  turbulently  requested  that  only  Lutherans  sliall  be  ap- 
pointed to  the  University.  We  in  Halle  are  called  Rationalists, 
because  we  are  for  the  Union.  So  changes  the  spirit  of  the  times  ! 
The  worst  thing  about  this  is  its  hierarchical  spirit,  many  of 
these  Lutherans  being  concerned  merely  about  dogmas,  and  set- 
ting little  value  upon  devout  strivings  after  Christian  life,  Avhen 
not  proceeding  from  ecclesiastical  authority,  and  exercising  ac- 
tivity in  the  churches  only  where  they  are  expressly  called.  It  is 
a  Lutheran  Puseyism,  and  numbers  of  their  clergy  in  Silesia 
have  gone  over  to  the  Eomish  church,  or  will  shortly  do  so. 

"  Of  literary  works  there  is  little  to  tell.  I,  myself,  mean  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  my  life  upon  a  'History  of  Eationalism.' 
If  my  Avork,  *  The  Spirit  of  the  Lutheran  Theology  of  Witten- 


New   York.  185 

berg  in  the  Seventeenth  Century '  comes  to  your  hands,  its  pref- 
ace will  tell  you  most  plainly  of  my  purpose.  I  rejoice  that  I 
am  approaching  the  evening  of  my  life,  and  the  moment  when  I 
shall  say  '  it  is  finished,'  is  the  object  of  my  longing.  Christ  my 
righteousness  !  is  my  symbol  ;  may  it  be  also  your  power  and 
your  strength  !     Faithfully  bound  to  you,  in  Christ, 

*'  Your  brother, 

"A.  Tholuck." 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stearns : 

January  28,  1853. 

My  dear  Brother  :  There  was  a  meeting  of  the  Commit- 
tee of  the  Board  with  the  Faculty  last  night,  about  the  pro- 
posed alterations  in  the  Constitution  of  the  seminary.  One  of 
these  was,  that  the  professors  should  make  the  declaration  of 
orthodoxy  annually  ;  and  in  case  of  refusal  cease  to  be  professor. 
All  the  Faculty  thought  that  this  was  rather  sharp  practice.  Is 
it  putting  us  in  a  proper  position  ?  Would  it  not  be  taken  hold 
of,  all  round,  as  implying  a  deep-seated  feeling  of  insecurity  ? 
How  should  you  like  to  have  to  re-profess  the  Confession  of  Faith 
once  a  year  ?  Once  in  four  years  is  quite  often  enough.  I  hope 
you  will  be  at  the  meeting  on  Monday.  Come  in  and  take  din- 
ner with  us,  and  bring  your  wife,  which  my  wife  asks  with  her 
love.  You  see  I  am  setting  the  students  at  work  on  your  ser- 
mon.* 

To  the  same : 

February  5,  1852. 

The  ground  has  been  broken  up,  even  the  fallow  ground— and 
an  earnest  effort  is  to  be  made  for  the  endowment  of  the  semi- 
nary, viz.,  four  professorships  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
each.  Prentiss's  sermon  f  is  to  be  put  to  press  at  once.  A 
pamphlet  of  facts,  wants,  etc. ,  is  in  preparation.  At  Mr.  Chas. 
Butler's,  next  Monday  evening  at  eight  o'clock,  is  to  be  a  gather- 

*  On  Justification,  preached  before  the  Synods  of  New  York  and  New  Jer- 
sey. 

f  On  the  Position  and  Claims  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  preached 
in  Octoljpr,  1851,  to  his  own  people,  and,  aftei-ward,  before  the  Synods  of 
New  York  and  New  Jersey, 


1 86  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

ing  of  the  directors,  etc.,  when  the  matter  is  to  be  matured.  Mr. 
Gallagher  is  to  be  asked  to  put  his  hand  to  the  plough  ;  I  have 
just  written  him.  Do  not  fail  to  come.  Everything  about  the 
movement  thus  far  promises  well. 


To  Mrs.  M.  H.  Cornelms  : 

New  York,  April  14,  1853. 

The  winter  has  worn  away,  upon  the  whole,  pleasantly  and 
profitably,  though  very  busily.  I  have  had  about  as  much  as  I 
could  well  do,  in  the  Seminary,  and  preaching,  etc.  I  was  in 
Maine  in  December,  and  brought  my  mother  back  as  a  trophy, 
but  could  not  keep  her  long. 

The  children  are  growing  and  coming  out,  each  in  their  own 
way.  What  a  problem  it  is,  that  of  training  children — not 
restraining  too  much,  and  yet  really  educating  them  !  It  seems 
almost  as  if  one  person's  whole  time  might  be  given  profitably  to 
each  child.  And  the  training  them  for  Christ — this  is  still 
more  arduous  ;  to  know  when  to  encourage,  and  when  to  dis- 
courage !    And  yet  each  new  family  has  to  do  it  for  itself. 

I  went  tlie  other  evening  to  hear  one  of  Father  Gavazzi's  ex- 
traordinary harangues  ;  nothing  like  it,  in  some  respects,  has 
ever  been  heard  in  this  country.  I  never  heard  such  magnifi- 
cent declaynation,  such  impassioned  pantomime.  He  is  an  orato- 
rical study,  and  he  has  studied  oratory.  He  pictures  everything 
in  a  most  vivid  style.  You  could  understand  and  follow  him, 
even  if  you  did  not  catch  a  word  he  said.  He  is  not  on  just  the 
right  tach  for  Eomanism  in  this  country  ;  but  he  must  be  great 
in  Italy  after  the  next  revolution  there.  Next  Aveek  we  are  hop- 
ing to  hear  Edward  Everett  before  the  Historical  Society. 

Our  long  terra  of  nine  months  seems  to  be  drawing  to  a  close, 
although  two  months  still  remain.  It  has  been  a  quiet  and  pros- 
perous time.  Several  of  the  Senior  Class  are  going  upon  foreign 
missions.  I  have  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  my  lectures  and 
almost  uninterrupted  calls  to  preach  ;  but  I  have  been,  most  of 
the  time,  very  well,  and  able  to  work  with  cheerfulness,  though 
always  accomplishing  less  than  I  intend.  We  live,  for  the  most 
part,  a  very  quiet,  retired  life,  and  that  suits  us. 

Do  not  forget  us  in  your  prayers,  nor  let  us  be  separated  from 


New   York.  187 

your  affections.     Whatever  may  be  said,*  you,  I  am  sure,  will 
not  doubt  that  the  love  of  New  England  and  of  our  New  Eng- 
land friends,  will  never  cease  to  inspire  the  warmest  feelings  of 
Yours,  most  truly  and  affectionately, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

To  Ids  mother : 

New  York,  Juue  15,  1853, 

.  .  .  Our  anniversary  was  celebrated  on  Wednesday  even- 
ing last,  after  a  long  week  of  examinations,  in  which  the  classes 
appeared  very  well.  The  anniversary  was  a  good  one,  and  the 
students  are  fast  dispersing  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  Three  go 
on  foreign  missions,  some  eight  or  ten  to  tlie  West,  Almost  all 
of  them  are  already  engaged,  so  great  is  the  demand  for  min- 
isters. 

Dr.  Wilson  has  resigned  his  post  as  professor  of  systematic 
theology.  I  may  say  to  you,  privately,  that  my  best  friends  here 
are  quite  urgent  that  I  should  be  his  successor.  The  Board  will 
probably  ask  me,  at  any  rate,  to  supply  his  place  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  next  year.  I  have  the  vacation  to  reflect  upon  this 
most  serious  matter,  in  which  I  pray  to  be  guided  aright,  and  in 
which,  dear  mother,  I  am  sure  of  having  your  prayers  and 
counsel. 

I  must  begin  at  once  on  my  Plii  Beta  Kappa  address  for  Yale, 
which  comes  the  last  of  July,  My  subject  will  probably  be 
the  Conditions  of  a  Eight  Philosophy  of  History,  which  will 
give  verge  enough  for  one  to  say  almost  anything. 


To  Ids  mother : 

New  York,  July  14,  1853. 

The  board  of  directors  have  formally  asked  me  to  supply  Dr. 
Wilson's  place,  with  the  understanding  that  they  are  to  get  some 
one  to  help  me.  I  suppose  I  must  do  it,  though  it  will  make 
the  next  year  one  of  hard  work  for  me.  But  perhaps  I  am  as 
well  able  to  work  hard  now  as  I  ever  have  been  or  shall  be.    And 

*  This  was  in  allusion  to  a  series  of  newspaper  attacks  upon  himself  and  his 
theological  teachings,  to  which  he  had  replied  with  vigor  in  the  columns  of 
the  New  York  Evangelist. 


1 88  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

if  I  am  doing  my  Master's  work,  He  will  give  me  the  strength  I 
need. 

It  seems  a  long  while  since  we  heard  from  you.  May  you  be 
strengthened  for  all  your  work  of  patience  and  of  suffering.  If 
we  could  look  only  to  this  world,  how  sad  and  incomprehensible 
would  be  God's  dealings  with  so  many  of  his  children,  and  the 
best  of  them.  But  blessed  be  God,  that  the  sufferings  of  this 
world  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which  shall 
be  revealed. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  : 

New  York,  August  14,  1854. 

,  .  .  You  have  seen  the  result  at  Amherst,  which  is  all 
right.  I  did  not  suppose  they  would  elect  me  without  some 
encouragement,  and  I  gave  absolutely  none.  Mr.  John  Tappan, 
of  Boston,  one  of  the  trustees,  told  Dr.  Allen  that  I  should  have 
been  chosen,  if  I  had  given  them  any  hope  that  I  could  accept. 
I  ought,  perhaps,  to  have  had  a  more  explicit  understanding 
with  some  of  our  directors  before  answering  the  application  at 
all.  ...  I  have  not,  I  have  not  had,  any  desire  to  leave  my 
post,  where  I  believe  my  Master  has  put  me  ;  and  I  can  labor  for 
Him,  whatever  men  may  do,  or  not  do.  But  it  is  all  labor,  labor, 
and  I  am  often  weary,  and  do  not  like  to  think  beyond  the  pres- 
ent hour,  for  myself  or  my  family.  Little  indeed  does  this 
world  give,  except  in  the  friendship  of  a  few  tried  hearts.  Life 
is  often  a  burden — always  a  pilgrimage  ;  and  blessed  are  they 
who  can  unwaveringly  believe  in  a  final  home.* 

*"A  few  weeks  before  the  date  of  this  letter,"  writes  Dr.  Prentiss,  "a 
committee  of  the  trustees  of  Amherst  College  had  written  to  him  to  inquire 
if  he  would  accept  the  presidency  of  that  institution.  Had  he  given  them 
any  encouragement,  he  would,  undoubtedly,  have  been  the  unanimous  choice 
of  the  Board.  Influential  friends  in  New  England  iirged  him  to  go  to  Am- 
herst ;  and  his  very  unsatisfactory  pecuniary  position  in  New  York  strongly 
tempted  him  to  do  so.  '  I  do  not  like  to  have  to  go  down  to  the  treasurei-'s 
on  pay-days  and  then  not  be  able  to  get  any  funds.'  Nor  was  his  salary  at 
all  adequate  to  the  support  of  his  family.  It  had  to  be  eked  out  by  those 
inordinate  outside  labors,  which  in  the  end  broke  down  his  health,  filled  his 
closing  years  with  so  much  suffering,  and  robbed  the  Church  of  Christ  of 
some  of  the  best  fruits  of  his  extraordinary  learning  and  theological  wisdom. 
This  wUl  explain  the  tone  of  sadness,  that  marks  his  letter  to  me." 


Nczu   York.  189 

To  Rev.  Rosivell  D.  Hitchcoch : 

New  York,  June  21,  1855. 

We  are  rejoicing  in  your  unanimous  election  to  our  vacant 
chair  of  Church  History.  Nothing,  for  a  long  time,  has  given 
me  so  high  gi-atification.  You  will  find  none  but  the  most  cor- 
dial feeling  on  the  part  of  the  professors,  directors,  and  the 
many  friends  of  the  Seminary.  I  do  not  permit  myself  to  think 
for  a  moment  that  you  may  not  come.  Providence  would  not 
leave  you  to  make  so  serious  a  mistake.  .  .  .  There  is  a 
noble  work  for  you  to  do  here.  Everything  is  ready  for  it.  And 
there  is  not  another  place  in  the  country,  nor  one  likely  to  be 
vacant  for  years,  which  is  so  much  just  your  place.  Since  the 
time  when  you  were  first  named,  my  conviction  that  you  were 
the  man  for  the  place  has  not  wavered  a  moment.  God's  provi- 
dence, in  a  way  which  seems  to  us  wonderful,  has  made  the  path 
straight  for  your  feet.  You  know  I  shall  welcome  you  with  my 
whole  heart ;  and  you  know  many  others  will.  I  shall  be  in 
Portland  at  the  General  Conference  next  week,  where  I  hope  to 
see  you.     I  am  delegate  of  the  New  School  Presbyterian  Church. 

From  the  Rev.  Wheelock  Craig  : 

"New  Bedford,  October  11,  1855. 

"  My  dear  Sir  :  It  seems  to  me  that  the  highest  possible  ben- 
efactors of  the  intelligent  portion  of  our  countrymen,  at  the 
present  time,  are  those  who  engage  in  the  work  which  you  are 
achieving— that  of  furnishing  a  philosophical  development  of 
the  true  system  of  Christian  belief. 

'' Nothing  which  I  have  read  in  along  time,  has  had  so  quick- 
ening an  influence  both  upon  my  scholarly  and  my  theological 
enthusiasm  as  this  most  admirable  oration,*  which  is  now  excit- 
ing my  deepest  thankfulness.  Permit  me  humbly  to  express  my 
heartfelt  assurance,  dear  sir,  that  your  influence  upon  your  own 
Church  and  city,  although  more  perceptible  to  yourself,  perhaps, 
is  not  more  powerful  and  salutary  than  it  is  upon  Congrega- 
tionalism and  upon  New  England.  Not  a  few  of  us  are  very 
glad  to  be  provided  with  a  rallying-point  nearer  home  than 
Princeton." 


f  The  Inaugural  Address,  or  the  Idea  of  Christian  Theology  as  a  system. 


I  go  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

From  tlie  Rev.  H.  Neill:  ■* 

"Detroit,  November  12,  1855. 

"My  DEAR  Brother:  Congratulate  yourself  that  Princeton 
and  others  are  calling  your  Inaugural  into  notice.  You  have 
done  a  masterly  thing  for  the  churches  and  for  your  brethren. 
Verily  you  have  expounded  for  us  'the  way  of  God  more  per- 
fectly.' Nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that  your  view  of  doctrine 
in  its  central  fact  and  growth  and  order  of  enunciation  and 
appropriation  will  prevail  where  apprehended. 

"  May  He  that  is  reconciling  by  the  labors  of  His  ministers,  as 
well  as  by  the  life  and  sufferings  of  His  Son— all  things  to  Him- 
self— help  you,  to  live  and  think  and  work  and  speak  for  Jesus." 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stearns : 

New  York,  October  23, 1855. 

My  dear  Stearns  :  .  .  .  George  says  you  are  to  write 
on  Dr.  Hodge  for  the  Evangelist.  Three  articles  in  Princeton 
Essays,  volume  I.,  discuss  the  matter  of  Imputation.  Hodge 
wrote  the  two  first ;  Alexander  the  last.  H.  attempts  there  to 
show  that  Edwards  is  inconsistent ;  in  vain,  I  think.  He  also 
tries  to  bring  Calvin  upon  his  ground  ;  equally  in  vain.  He 
also  refers  to  Placseus  the  origin  of  the  distinction  between  me- 
diate and  immediate,  which  P.  adopted ;  I  doubt  whether  it 
did  not  exist  before.  Placseus's  view,  as  there  stated,  I  do  not 
fully  acquiesce  in.  He  makes  the  corrupt  nature,  by  descent,  to 
be  the  only  ground  of  imputation.  My  statement  about  Ed- 
wards makes  simply  "  what  is  real  in  the  relation  between  Adam 
and  his  posterity  to  be  the  basis  of  what  is  legal" — that  is,  the 
natural  connection  between  Adam  and  his  posterity  is  the  basis 
on  which  the  imputation  does  and  must  rest.  This  is  simply  a 
matter  of  fact ;  and  is  not  a  theory  to  explain  the  justice  of  the 
imputation.  This  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Confession.  '^  The  cove- 
nant being  made  with  Adam,  etc. — all  mankind  descending  from 
him  hy  ordinary  generation,''"'  etc.  This  is  Calvin,  Augustine, 
Edwards,  too.  This  is  the  only  sense  in  which  in  the  address  I 
speak  of  mediate  imputation. 

The  same  in  respect  to  Christ's  righteousness.  What  is  real 
in  our  relation  to  him  is  the  basis  of  what  is  legal;  *'  in  our  rela- 
tion to  Mm,'''  not  even  his  indwelling  in  us  by  the  Spirit  is  spo- 


New    York.  1 9 1 

ken  of ;  but  a  real  relation  as  the  basis  of  the  justification.  This 
is  common  Calvinism  ;  cf.  Turretine  2,  p.  708,  where  he  dis- 
tinguished imputed  from  putative,  and  argues  that  this  justifica- 
tion is  not  destitute  of  justice.  "  Quia  datur  communio  inter 
nos  et  Christum,  qu^  solidum  fundamentwn  est  istius  imputa- 
tionis."  See,  too,  on  p.  70G  :  "  Q.uamdiu  Christus  est  extra  nos 
et  nos  extra  Christum,  nullum  ex  justitia  aliena  fructum  per- 
cipere  possumus,  etc.— the  whole  of  the  paragraph.  The  Ro- 
manists never  used,  that  I  know,  the  formula  "that  what  is 
real,"  etc. 

1  never  said,  or  implied  ''justified  because  sanctified."*  I 
never  taught  the  theory  I  lodge  sketches  on  p.  700,  not  a  word 
of  it ;  no  passage  supporting  it  can  be  found  in  anything  I  have 
written — not  even  that  "  we  partake  of  Christ's  righteousness 
only  in  virtue  of  partaking  of  his  human  nature,"  nor  ''  that  the 
incarnation  is  in  the  Church." 

For  Edwards's  consistency  is  to  be  pleaded  the  fact  that  he 

*  "The  reference,"  writes  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss,  "is  to  a  notice  by  Dr. 
Hodge  of  Prof.  Smith's  inaugural  address  on  assuming  tlie  chnir  of  syste- 
matic theology.  It  appeared  in  the  Biblical  Repertory  and  Princeton  Review 
for  October,  1855,  pp.  C99-702.  Dr.  Hodge  bestows  higli  praise  on  the 
address,  but  dissents  from  the  \'iew  it  gives  of  the  tlieology  of  President 
Edwards  respecting  mediate  imputation,  viz.,  that  'what  is  real  in  the  rela- 
tion between  Adam  and  his  posterity,  and  between  Christ  and  his  people,  is 
at  the  basis  of  what  is  legal.'  A  single  passage  in  Edwards  on  Orig- 
inal Sin  does,  indeed,  imply  the  doctrine  of  the  mediate  imputation  of 
Adam's  sin.  But  that  passage,  he  says,  is  a  speculation  and  an  excres- 
cence. As  to  the  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness  tlie  Romanists  taught, 
he  says,  that  we  are  justified  because  sanctified  ;  that  '  what  is  real  in  our 
relation  to  Christ  is  the  basis  of  what  is  legal  ; '  that  what  is  wrought  in  us 
and  not  what  Christ  has  done  for  us,  is  the  ground  of  our  acceptance  with 
God.  And  this  doctrine  of  subjective  sanctification  Dr.  Hodge  regards  as 
the  same  thing  as  the  mediate  imputation  of  righteousness.  Prof.  Smith 
replied  that  this  was  an  entire  misapprehension  of  the  latter  doctrine.  By 
mediate  imputation  was  meant,  not  that  we  are  justified  because  sanctified, 
but  that  we  are  justified  because  of  our  union  to  Christ  ;  His  righteousness 
is  imputed  to  us  because  we  are  in  and  one  with  Him  ;  our  real  relation  to 
Christ  as  our  Redeemer  is  at  the  basis  of  our  legal  relation  to  Him  as  the 
meritorious  cause  of  our  pardon  and  acceptance  with  God.  This,  Prof.  S. 
maintained,  was  the  old  Reformed  and  the  old  New  England  view,  that, 
e.  g.,  of  Willard.  See  on  this  point  an  article  on  Willard's  system  of  di%in- 
ity,  by  Dr.  Steams,  in  the  American  Theological  Review  for  August,  1860." 


192  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

taught  a  parallel  doctrine  as  to  both  original  sin  and  justifica- 
tion ;  hence  not  an  "excrescence."'  His  doctrine  of  "benevo- 
lence" rightly  understood,  i.e.,  as  having  ultimate  respect  to 
holiness,  is  not  contradicted  by  his  "  Eeligious  Affections." 

What  is  the  sense  cf  "  that  we  partake  of  His  righteousness 
because  we  partake  of  His  holiness  ?  "  What  is  the  difference 
between  righteousness  and  holiness  ?  How  can  the  "  new  phil- 
osophy "  have  introduced  into  theology  this  doctrine,  when  Ed- 
wards taught  it  long  ago  ? 


From  Rev.  J.  H.  Thornivell,  D.D.  : 

"Charleston,  S.  C, 
"Theological  Seminaky,  September  17,  1856, 

"  Eeveeend  and  dear  Sir  :  I  esteem  it  among  the  felicities 
of  my  life,  that  on  my  late  visit  to  New  York,  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  becoming  acquainted  with  yourself.  As  a  slight  token 
of  my  remembrance,  I  have  had  sent  to  you  the  two  numbers  of 
the  Southern  Quarterly  Revieiu  issued  under  my  superintend- 
ence. The  next  number  will  be  published  in  November  and 
will  be  considerably  enlarged.  I  wish  to  invite  your  attention — 
if  I  may  use  a  professional  phrase — to  the  article  on  Miracles, 
written  by  myself,  and  suggested  by  the  conversation  on  that 
subject  which  Ave  had  at  Mr,  Bancroft's.*  Your  friendly  criti- 
cisms and  suggestions  would  be  very  kindly  received.  If  you 
could  command  leisure  to  furnish  me  with  an  occasional  article, 
you  would,  no  doubt,  contribute  largely  to  the  usefulness 
and  value  of  the  Review.  I  would  like  especially  to  have  from 
you  an  account  of  the  philosophy  of  Hegel. 

"  With  assurances  of  high  esteem, 

"I  am  your  friend  and  brother, 

*' J,  H.  THORl!fWELL." 

*  Mr,  Bancroft  had,  a  few  months  previous  to  this,  invited  Prof.  Smith 
to  meet  Dr,  Thorn  well  at  his  house,  adding:  "He  is,  I  think,  the  best 
metaphysician  south  of  the  Potomac,  and  I  want  him  to  know  you." 


New   York.  193 

From  the  same : 

"Charleston,  S.  C,  ) 

"Theological  Seminary,  November  20,1856.  ) 

**Eeverend  and  dear  Sir  :  Your  article  on  Sclielling  will  be 
in  time  if  it  reaches  me  by  Christmas,  and  I  sincerely  hope  that 
you  will  not  fail  to  send  it.  I  anticipate  equal  profit  and  pleas- 
ure from  it.  But  within  the  last  two  months  my  mind  has  been 
called  to  the  exercise  of  a  diviner  philosophy  than  ever  sprang 
from  earth.  The  Lord  has  led  me  through  deep  waters,  and 
taught  me  lessons  which  I  Avould  not  forget  for  all  the  world. 
His  hand  has  been  heavy  upon  me  in  depriving  me  first  of  a 
mother,  then  of  a  child,  and  in  bringing  another  member  of  my 
family  to  the  brink  of  the  grave  ;  but  through  Ilis  grace  I  have 
been  able  to  preserve  a  spirit  of  submission  to  His  will, 
and  to  trust  in  His  mercy,  even  whilst  experiencing  His 
severity.  I  have  felt  the  unutterable  preciousness  of  the  gospel, 
and  I  think  my  faith  is  more  deeply  rooted  than  it  ever  was 
before. 

"  The  difference  betwixt  us  in  relation  to  the  definition  of  a 
miracle  is  rather  verbal  than  real;  the  phenomenon  itself  and 
the  cause  of  the  phenomenon  are  certainly  separable  in  thought. 
The  phenomenon  apart  from  its  cause  you  would  not  call  a 
miracle,  and  I  would — that  seems  to  be  the  difference. 

"  My  design  in  the  distinction  was  to  save  the  argument  for  the 
being  of  God,  which  the  miracle  suggests,  and  I  have  accord- 
ingly made  that  a  deduction  which  you  would  make  a  part  of 
the  definition.  I  look  at  it,  in  the  first  instance,  simply  as  a 
fact — you  look  at  it  as  an  effect.  You  accordingly  define  it  in 
terms  expressive  of  its  cause — I  define  it  in  terms  expressive  of 
nothing  but  its  sensible  impressions.  I  afterward  reason  from  it, 
as  from  every  other  event,  to  the  nature  of  its  cause.  You  have 
already  anticipated  that  step.  I  have  an  idea  of  expanding  the 
article  and  adding  to  it  a  dissertation  on  inspiration,  and  bring- 
ing the  whole  out  in  a  small  volume. 

"  Very  sincerely  your  friend, 

"J.  H.  Thorn"  WELL." 

To  Ms  mother: 

New  York,  October  13,  1857. 

To-day  is  the  worst  financial  day  yet,  ten  banks  gone  in  the 
13 


194  Hemy  Boy^iton  Smith, 

city — some  expect  that  the  others  will  go  to-morrow.  Of  our 
salaries  I  suppose  only  a  small  proportion  can  be  paid.  Mr.  A. 
intimated  to  me  last  night  that  he  could  not  afFord  to  have  me 
lecture  at  his  Institute.  But  I  suppose  we  shall  have  enough  for 
bread  and  butter.  I  am  afraid  the  students  will  have  to  suffer  ; 
the  Education  Society  cannot  afford  to  pay  them — at  any  rate 
at  present.     But  the  Lord  will  provide. 


To  Rev.  Dr.  Stearns : 

December,  1857. 

I  can  perhaps  give  you  in  a  few  lines  all  the  facts  you  may 
need,  and  we  have  nothing  printed,  excepting  Mr.  Gallagher's 
last  circular,  which  I  suppose  you  have.    .     .     . 

Number  of  students  about  one  hundred  and  six  ;  with  residents, 
say  one  hundred  and  ten  or  one  hundred  aud  twelve.  About 
half  on  the  Education  Society,  which  has  just  paid  what  was 
due,  October  1.  Many,  no  means  at  all,  except  what  they  thus 
get,  and  by  teaching  and  visiting.  Those  that  visit  for  Sunday 
school  and  missionary  work,  get  about  two  dollars  a  week  for 
thirty  or  forty  weeks.  The  Education  Society  pays  one  hundred 
dollars,  that  makes  one  hundred  and  eighty  dollars.  Two  hun- 
dred dollars  is  the  least  that  a  student  can  get  thro'  the  year 
with,  using  the  utmost  economy.  Over  thirty  students,  I  think 
about  forty,  are  thus  visiting,  doing  good  to  others,  and  getting 
practical  training  in  the  ministry.  We  never  had  a  better  set  of 
students,  more  willing  to  work  for  themselves,  and  never  any  so 
hard  pressed  for  means. 

The  next  quarter's  dues  of  the  Education  Society  may  be  paid, 
tho'  probably  delayed  (it  ought  to  be  paid  January  1,  1858);  but 
beyond  that  all  is  uncertain.  Each  quarter  about  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  should  be  paid  to  about  fifty  of  our 
students  for  necessary  expenses,  food,  books,  clothing,  etc. 
Contributions  from  the  churches  in  general  have  come  in  very 
slowly,  and  rather  meagerly — not  at  all  what  Mr,  Gallagher  ex- 
pected. 


New   York.  195 

CHICAGO — GENERAL   ASSEMBLY. 

To  Ms  loife : 

Chicago,  Friday,  May  28,  1858. 

I  am  tlirongli  with  my  sermon,  and,  on  my  way  to  bed,  write 
this  note  to  yon,  to  say  good-night  and  God  bless  you,  and  to 
tell  you  how  much  I  want  to  see  you  and  all  the  dear  ones  at 
home.  The  business  of  the  session  drags  along  but  slowly.  We 
cannot  get  through  before  Tuesday  ;  we  we  may  get  through  so 
as  to  go  round  by  Mackinaw,  starting  Tuesday  night.  I  made  a 
speech  to-day  on  the  Judicial  case,*  and  this  evening  my  ser- 
mon. I  will  send  the  papers  about  it,  Avhich,  with  those  already 
sent,  I  wish  you  would  keep  for  me.  The  rain  has  been  pour- 
ing in  torrents  all  the  evening,  so  that  my  audience  was  not 
large,  but  it  was  a  good  one,  and  I  got  through  very  well  on  the 
whole,  though  I  shall  be  glad  to  go  to  bed  after  it.  I  am  out  to 
dinner  and  tea  every  day  and  getting  to  know  many  agreeable 
people. 

Sunday,  Mmj  30. — Such  rain  you  never  did  see.  Yesterday 
was  bright,  this  morning  was  bright,  this  forenoon  a  pouring 
rain,  this  afternoon  is  dubious.  I  preached  this  morning  in  the 
New  England  church  for  Bartlett ;  this  evening  I  preach  in  the 

*  The  following  is  quoted  from  a  letter  from  Rev.  C.  S.  Armstrong,  D.  P., 
in  the  New  York  Evanrjelist,  August,  1877: 

"  In  that  Assembly  was  a  notable  judicial  case.  In  its  progress  Smith  and 
Heacock  found  themselves  in  antagonistic  attitudes  on  certain  judicial 
questions  involved.  On  a  certain  occasion  Heacock  had  the  floor,  and  in  a 
short  but  ringing  speech,  as  was  his  wont,  he  carried  the  enemy's  position  by 
storm.  The  time  of  adjournment  for  the  day  had  arrived,  and  the  beaten 
side  had  no  time  to  rally  its  forces,  if  indeed  any  forces  remained  to  be  ral- 
lied, and  with  a  profound  impression  the  Assembly  adjourned.  The  night 
session  gave  no  opportunity  to  renew  the  conflict  ;  but  on  the  following  day, 
in  due  course  of  business,  Dr.  Smith  took  the  floor,  not  as  if  for  war,  but 
in  his  accustomed  simplicity,  in  a  quiet  and  even  retiring  manner.  But  as 
he  proceeded,  it  soon  became  evident  he  had  something  to  say  before  sur- 
rendering. He  came  to  the  fabric  which  the  opposite  party  had  woven  for 
a  covering,  and  in  that  masterly  way  with  which  many  of  us  had  been 
familiar  in  the  class-room,  he  held  it  up  to  view,  and  put  his  glittering 
blade  through  it,  this  way  and  then  that,  till  no  substance  remained.  The 
tables  were  turned,  and  victory  went  back  to  the  side  of  the  vanquished." 


196  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

First  Presbyterian  church  for  Curtis  ;  this  morning  on  the  Incar- 
nation, this  evening,  Intercession,  I  think. 

No  further  letter  from  from  you  since  my  last.  The  Assem- 
bly's mail  I  could  not  get  at  yesterday.  The  members  went  on 
the  Central  Road  to  see  the  prairies,  but  I  preferred  staying  at 
home  and  going  the  rounds  of  Chicago.  I  went  to  the  reading- 
room  and  read  up  the  news  for  a  week,  then  to  Healy's  portrait 
gallery,  then  to  see  about  the  lake  propellers  for  Mackinaw,  then 
to  see  the  great  grain  elevators,  holding  700,000  bushels,  and 
discharging  10,000  bushels  an  hour,  a  great  institution.  In  the 
afternoon,  Mr.  Judd  took  me  all  through  and  round  Chicago, 
many  parts  I  had  not  before  seen,  and  gave  me  something  of  an 
idea  of  the  business  of  the  place,  the  greatest  lumber  and  grain 
maket  in  the  West,  and  in  such  restless  activity.  $1,500,000  has 
been  expended  in  churches  in  two  years  ;  the  same  amount  is 
prospectively  pledged  for  institutions  of  learning.  The  evening 
was  pleasant,  boats  and  singing  on  the  lake.  I  looked  over  my 
sermons,  and  went  to  bed  and  slept  quietly.  I  trust  and  hope 
you  all  did  the  same,  and  that  our  Father  was  with  you  all, 
having  you  in  His  most  loving  care.  We  have  had  a  busy  week 
in  the  Assembly  and  I  have  had  a  good  deal  to  do,  and  got  along 
very  well  on  the  whole,  I  believe.  At  any  rate  I  am  very  well 
after  it.     Nothing  can  surpass  the  hospitality  of  the  good  people 

here.     The  Judds  *  and  Miss  E are  as  kind  as  they  can  be. 

Their  horses  and  carriage  I  can  have  at  any  time. 

Monday  morning. — Very  bright ;  preached  last  evening,  large 
audience  and  a  tremendous  rain. 

To  his  mother  : 

July  8,  1858. — I  shall  not  be  able  to  be  away  much  this  sum- 
mer. My  Gieseler  and  Tables  will  take  all  my  time,  to  say 
nothing  of  two  or  three  other  things,  e.  g.,  a.  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
address  at  Middletown  and  an  article  on  Calvin  for  the  new 
American  Encyclopaedia. 

To  his  wife: 

Monday  morning,  July  19,  1858. — I  am  sorry  to  disappoint 

*  Hon.  Norman  Judd,  afterward  United  States  Minister  to  Berlin. 


New   York.  ig7 

yon,  but  the  fact  is,  and  there  is  no  disguising  it,  that  I  got 
through  yesterday  morning's  sermon  verrj  comfortably  and  easily, 
and  am  not  a  whit  the  worse  for  it,  though  I  don't  expect  you 
to  believe  me,  of  course.  My  Calvin  article  I  finish  to-day,  and, 
after  a  day  of  laziness,  I  must  begin  on  my  ^sthetical  address. 
Bruno  seems  disconsolate.  He  looks  very  sorrowful  when  I  ask 
for  the  children. 

New  YorTc,  July  21,  1858. — I  had  your  long  letter  this  morn- 
ing, just  as  I  was  going  to  a  Bible  meeting,  which  kept  in  till 
about  three  o'clock.  I  sent  a  letter  this  morning  to  you  at 
Northampton  ;  fearing  you  may  not  get  it,  I  write  this  even- 
ing to  Goshen,  where  I  hope  you  are  most  comfortably  estab- 
lished, and  find  everything  agreeable.  I  wish  I  was  there  with 
you.  I  know  it  would  do  me  good,  but  I  must  w^ait  awhile  for 
any  rest  in  this  life.  It  is  all  work — work — work — and  how 
little  fi-uit !  I  think  the  children  will  enjoy  Goshen,  and  the 
rides  and  the  pond.  Tell  them  they  must  grow  plump  and 
rosy  on  it.  The  printers  are  driving  me  about  my  Tables  ;  ten 
are  now  in  their  hands,  and  Avill  be  done  next  week  ;  five  more 
will  complete  the  job,  and  then,  after  all,  I  do  not  believe  that 
anybody  will  appreciate  it. 

I  wish  I  could  stir  up  a  little  enthusiasm  for  my  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  address,  but  I  am  past  the  time  of  enthusiasm,  I  am 
afraid — getting  old  and  dried  up.  They  want  me  at  the  Bible 
House  to  take  the  laboring  oar  in  collation,  etc.  I  don't  know 
that  I  shall  venture,  but  perhaps  no  one  else  will. 

Good-night, .     How  fast  life  is  passing  away  with  us, 

and  how  different  from  our  plans.  I  am  getting  to  be  a  mere 
drudge  of  work.  But  if  I  can  only  succeed,  so  far  as  you  and 
the  dear  children  are  concerned,  to  leave  you  above  want,  it  is 
all  that  I  expect.  To  be  forty-three  years  old  and  little  more 
than  out  of  debt,  and  to  feel  that  if  my  health  gives  out,  we  are 
in  want,  is  not  a  very  bright  prospect.  But  the  Lord  will  care 
for  you,  my  love,  and  may  He  bless  our  dear  children,  and  make 
them  truly  His,  and  prepare  them  to  be  useful. 

July  30,  1858. — I  have  nearly  finished  my  address  on  Esthet- 
ics— rather  a  poor  affair.     I  have  written  Astie  at  Lausanne,  and 


198  Henry  Boynton  S77iith. 

Pilatte  at  Nice,  to  get  letters,  etc.,  for  the  Memoir.*  If  I  could 
I  would  come  to  you  after  the  [Middletown]  Commencement, 
but  my  Tables  are  driving  me,  and  I  must  have  a  week  more  on 
them  before  I  can  fairly  break  away. 

New  York,  Augud  3,  1858. — I  reached  home  safely  this  after- 
noon. I  had  a  pleasant  passage  to  Hartford  on  Monday  night, 
prayer  meeting  and  exhortation  on  board  the  boat  by  the  Metho- 
dist brethren.  At  seven  and  a  half  Tuesday  morning  found  D. 
E.  G.f  at  work  in  his  garden  ;  he  was  glad  to  see  me,  and  we 
had  a  nice  talk.  We  called  on  Dr.  Bushnell  together  ;  he  looks 
sick  and  talks  despondingly.  D.  E.  G.  went  with  me  to  Middle- 
town,  where  I  was  most  hospitably  entertained  at  Mr.  Douglass's, 
a  beautiful  place.  Mr.  Dudley,  the  Congregational  minister  was 
kind,  and  Chase  and  Johnston,  too ;  so  I  was  well  cared  for.  My 
oration  at  four  o'clock,  rather  rainy  weather  and  all,  and  the 
oration  was  damped  ;  the  light  was  bad,  and  I  did  not  feel  much 
in  the  mood,  but  got  through  what  some  of  them  told  me  was  a 
metaphysical  production.  Middletown  must  be  a  very  beautiful 
place  when  it  is  not  raining.  Dr.  Whedon,  editor  of  Methodist 
Quarterly,  came  in  the  cars  with  me,  and  we  had  a  good  long 
talk  on  all  sorts  of  metaphysical  subjects. 

New  York,  Saturday  morning,  August  5,  1858. 
I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  yesterday  from  Goshen,  a 
marvelous  speed,  as  if  this  telegraphic  spirit,  stirred  up  by  the 
caMe,  had  got  into  the  other  means  of  communication.  You 
hadn't  heard  of  it  on  Friday  !  I  knew  it  Thursday  at  twelve — have 
sent  you  two  papers  about  it.  You  do  not  speak  of  receiving 
Harpefs,  which  I  sent,  and  I  have  sent  a  great  many  newspa- 
pers, too.  I've  arranged  to  leave  here  Monday,  August  16,  for 
the  woods  and  lakes ;  written  to  Howland  and  Dr.  Adams,  etc. 
Benedict  gives  me  letters  and  full  directions.  (7ViZ»w;ie  says  of 
my  oration,  "  profundity  altogether  too  deep  for  popular  audi- 
ence ; "  so  much  for  trying  to  enlighten  people  ! ) 

August  8,  1858. — No  letter  from  you  to-day,  and  a  beautiful 
day  it  is  in  spite  of  no  letter,  diploma,  etc.,  [D.D.]  from  Cam- 

*  Of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  Jr. 

•j-  Dr.  Goodwin,  at  this  time  President  of  Trinity  College,  Hartford. 


New   York.  1 99 

bridge,*  to  which  I  have  replied  very  concisely  and  politely.     A 

good  time  Sunday  with  the  A s,  though  I  was  not  very  well 

Saturday  night,  but  I  preached  it  off.  A  very  large  audience  on 
Sunday  evening.  Nexfc  Sunday  I  am  to  preach  for  Stearns's  people. 
Two  or  three  letters  and  some  calls  about  publishing  my  Es- 
thetics, which  I've  declined.  I  may  want  to  use  it  for  something 
else.  Table  XII.  is  getting  on  bravely,  finished  this  week  ;  also 
a  batch  of  Gieseler,  and  then  good-bye  to  all  books  and  welcome 
to  all  nonsense. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss,  then  in  Europe : 

New  York,  September  17,  1858. 
My  dear  George  :  I  haven't  a  soul  in  New  York  now  to  go 
and  grumble  to,  and  chuckle  with.  It  seems  to  me  that  about 
nin*e-tenths  of  New  York  is  gone,  though  the  streets  are  lively, 
and  business  is  reviving,  they  say.  I  have  been  for  three  weeks 
gaining  solid  rest  and  strength  among  the  Adirondack  hills  and 
Sarauac  lakes — a  grand  place  for  recruiting.  You  can't  find 
anything  like  it  in  Switzerland.  Ilowland  was  with  me  all  the 
time — a  capital  companion  in  every  sense  and  emergency.  We 
enjoyed  it  highly,  trout,  deer,  camping  out,  and  all.  I  never 
got  so  vigorous  in  three  weeks'  time  in  my  life.  Talk  about 
going  to  Switzerland  !  "Why,  we  didn't  see  a  newspaper  for  a 
fortnight,  nor  have  a  letter  from  anybody  for  three  weeks.  Sixty 
lakes  among  the  highest  mountains  in  the  State — a  circle  of  one 
hundred  miles  diameter,  full  of  hills,  lakes,  ponds,  streams,  riv- 
ers, trout,  and  deer.  Civilization  is  a  humbug,  depend  upon  it ! 
.  .  .  My  Tables  and  Gieseler  keep  me  pretty  busy  ;  and  then 
I  am  on  a  sub-committee  of  the  Bible  Society's  revision  com- 
mittee to  collate,  etc.  I  don't  see  that  there  is  any  promise  of 
much  spare  time  this  winter.  It  is  all  work,  work,  work,  and  the 
end  of  it  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.  But  Stearns  will  be 
back  by-and-by,  and  you— when  ?  God  bless  you,  my  dear 
friend,  and  have  you  and  yours  in  His  holy  care,  and  make  you 
strong  for  His  work.     Give  my  love  to  your  wife  and  children. 

New  York,  November  21,- 1858. 
My  dear  Mother  :    I  cannot  believe  that  I  am  now  forty- 

*  He  had  received  the  same  degree  from  the  University  of  Vermont,  in  1851. 


200  Henry  Boynton  Sinztk. 

three  years  old,  yet  it  is  only  too  true.  Would  that  I  had  a  bet- 
ter account  to  give  of  these  years,  now  so  fast  gliding  away.  I 
have  done  so  little  of  what  I  once  thought  I  should  do,  if  my 
life  were  spared  so  long  ;  but  how  little  did  I  expect  twenty-one 
years  ago  to  be  now  living.  How  much  I  have  to  be  thankful 
for.  .  .  .  And  not  the  least  among  these  domestic  blessings 
is  that  my  dear  mother  is  still  spared  to  bless  me,  from  time  to 
time,  with  her  kind  and  loving  words  and  counsel.  .  .  .  And 
the  thought  of  my  dear  and  honored  father  comes  back  to  me  to- 
day ;  and  I  remember  him,  and  his  love  for  me  and  all  of  us, 
and  his  many  virtues,  with  increased  gratitude  to  God  for  hav- 
ing given  me  such  a  father  on  earth. 

.  .  .  I  do  not  grow  old  in  my  feelings,  hopes,  or  plans. 
With  each  year  I  hope  to  accomplish  more.  But  I  do  so  much 
partially,  and  so  little  thoroughly  ;  I  am  spending  so  much  time 
in  details  and  drudgery  which  profit  little  in  the  end,  that  I 
begin  to  give  up  the  hope  of  doing  anything  of  permanent  value. 
I  long  to  escape  from  this  web  of  daily  cares  and  duties,  and  give 
my  heart  and  mind  to  some  work  of  more  value,  for  which  I 
know  that  I  have  been  fitting  myself,  but  which  I  have  no  time 
now  to  Avrite.  When  will  such  leisure  come  ?  Perhaps  never 
for  me  ;  but  then  God  will  provide  some  one  to  do  it  better,  if  it 
is  to  be  done. 

We  had  a  nice  Thanksgiving,  and  only  wanted  our  dear 
mother  here  to  complete  our  happiness.  We  all  wished  that  we 
could  drop  in,  next  week,  to  your  turkey  and  pies.  Horatio  and 
S were  with  us,  and  their  children. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss : 

New  York,  February  4,  1859. 

My  dear  George  :  .  .  .  And  now  about  our  new  Review. 
The  projected  Puritan  is  to  come  here  and  be  called  American 
TJieological  Quarterly,  and  I  am  to  edit  it  here.  A  fund  is  to  be 
raised  to  establish  it,  half  in  New  England  and  half  here.  The 
first  number  is  just  out ;  I  wrote  nothing  but  some  notices — for 
I  did  not  get  the  editorship  till  it  was  half  through  the  press. 
Everything  looks  well  about  it — except  that  the  Independent  is 
mad — and  doesn't  like  it,  and  says  I  am  deserting  Presbyterian- 
ism.     The  Review  is  professedly  a  doctrinal  union  of  Congrega- 


New   York.  201 

tionalism  and  Presbyterianism,  on  the  basis  of  tlic  Shorter  Cate- 
chism. Ecclesiastical  controversies  between  ns  are  ignored.  All 
of  our  Professors,  Adams,  A.  D.  Smith,  Owen,  ^/ie  AVoods,  Stearns, 
Poor,  Few-Smith,  L.  Whiting,  Carpenter,  Prime,  Hallock, 
Cook,  etc.,  are  in  for  it.  Goodwin  will  be  a  contributor.  Presi- 
dent Woods  is  very  earnest  about  it ;  so  is  Lawrence  ;  so  is  Pres- 
ident Lord.  Joseph  Tracy  is  for  it,  and  was  appointed  the 
Boston  editor,  though  his  engagements  may  not  permit  him  to 
accept.  Can  you  get  and  send  to  me  the  statistics  of  the  Swiss 
Churches,    soo7i,   for  my  Tables  ? 

March  2G. — The  Review  is  assailed  terribly,  which  shows  that 
it  was  needed.  But  we  are  in  for  it  with  a  strong  team,  and 
must  carry  it  through.     Do  write  us  an  article. 


202  Henry  Boyiiton  Smith. 


CHAPTER    yil. 

LETTEES  WEITTEN  DUEING  A   SUMMEE  TEIP  TO  EUEOPE. — 

1859. 

To  Ibis  wife : 

At  Sea,  June  7,  1859. 

A  beautiful  warm  day,  light  breezes  or  none.  Sunday  noon 
we  had  made  nearly  three  hundred  miles ;  Monday  noon,  two 
hundred  and  ninety  more  ;  this  day  noon,  two  hundred  and  nine- 
ty-two. Thus  far,  a  very  nice  time  ;  good  company,  good  table, 
good  spirits.  This  ocean  air  and  noble  sailing  are  exhilarating 
beyond  measure.  I  ieelfree  from  labor  and  care,  as  I  have  not 
done  for  months  and  even  years  back.  Mr.  Gallagher  begins  to 
look  like  another  man,  and  enjoys  it  all. 

Wednesday,  June  8. — This  morning  at  five,  waked,  and  found 
that  we  were  off  Cape  Eace  ;  no  fog,  a  clear,  bright  morning  and 
calm  sea.  A  fine  iceberg,  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  com- 
posed of  one  large  mass,  and  two  columns  in  front  of  it,  in  sight 
for  an  hour  or  two  ;  we  sailed  within  a  mile  of  it,  a  beautiful 
sight.  We  were  along  the  coast  for  two  or  three  hours.  I  am 
feeling  very  well,  and  getting  the  full  benefit  of  tliis  exhilarating 
life.  It  seems  like  nothing  to  cross  the  Atlantic  in  this  style.  I 
am  on  my  berth,  writing  on  the  side  of  the  port-hole  which 
opens  into  it ;  a  cool,  light  breeze,  just  felt ;  the  waves  dancing  a 
little  outside ;  the  sun  shining  brightly  through  thin  clouds — 
nothing  but  this  broad  ocean  and  sky  in  sight.  Would  that  you 
were  here  and  that  we  might  enjoy  this  exhilarating  peace  to- 
gether. ...  A  little  flock  of  birds  is  just  flitting  by,  danc- 
ing above  the  waves,  hovering  over  the  billows,  the  only  live 
thing  in  sight,  except  this  ever-living,  restless  ocean,  which  is 
perpetually  sporting  around,  and  seeming  eager  to  rise  into  bil- 


Letters  from  Ji  zcrope.  203 

lows,  but  kept  in  check  by  some  invisible  power  that  holds  it  in 
the  hollow  of  his  hand. 

Friday  noon,  June  10. — And  sixteen  hundred  and  forty  miles 
from  New  York — more  than  half  way  to  Liverpool.  The  last 
twenty-four  hours  we  have  made  three  hundred  and  six  miles,  a 
capital  rate  of  sailing.  Yesterday  was  a  foggy,  sloppy,  wet,  driz- 
zly, trying-to-rain-and-couldn't  sort  of  an  uncomfortable  day, 
which  huddled  people  in  knots  in  the  saloon,  and  left  the  upper 
deck  almost  clear  of  passengers.  To-day  we  have  a  clear,  fresh 
breeze,  the  sky  just  enough  overcast  to  hide  the  sun,  and  are 
going  at  a  smacking  pace.  On  AVednesday  evening,  after  I 
wrote,  we  passed  another  iceberg,  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high, 
a  beautiful,  solitary,  white  floating  island.  Other  small  ice- 
bergs we  saw  in  the  distance.  Yesterday,  too,  a  man  was  buried 
in  the  sea;  a  young  man,  with  no  friends  on  board,  who  was 
going  back  to  Ireland  to  die  of  consumption.  He  had  not  left 
his  berth  in  the  steerage  since  he  came  on  board.  Poor  fellow  ! 
A  Catholic  priest  attended  him.  The  body  was  wrapped  in  a 
rude  shroud,  and  laid  upon  a  plank,  the  flag  of  England  over  it ; 
the  crew  and  passengers  came  around,  the  priest  read  in  whispers 
the  Latin  service,  mumbling  a  few  words  indistinctly,  so  the 
sounds  could  hardly  reach  any  ear ;  at  a  sign  from  him,  the 
body  was  slipped  from  beneath  the  flag,  and  plunged,  with  a 
dead,  hollow  sound,  into  the  ocean  ;  and  the  crowd  soon  dis- 
persed, and  next  the  sailors  were  singing  as  they  tightened  the 
sails  for  our  speedier  course.  And  thus  went  one  more  fellow- 
creature  into  the  eternal  world. 

Sunday,  June  12.  — We  are  now  within  six  hundred  miles  of 
Cork,  where  we  expect  to  land.  .  .  .  To-day  we  had  service 
on  board.  The  captain  read  the  prayer-book,  as  usual,  and  I 
preached  on  Christian  Hope  ["which  hope  we  have  as  an  anchor 
to  the  soul  "j  extempore;  had  all  persuasions  to  hear,  a  cabin- 
full,  and  they  seemed  to  think  it  appropriate  ;  some  Eoman 
Catholics,  even,  thanked  me  for  the  sermon.  And  I  am  thank- 
ful that  I  had  the  opportunity  of  giving  the  Gospel  message  to  so 
many,  in  such  circumstances.     .     .     . 

Tuesday  noon,  June  14. — This  morning  at  six  o'clock,  old 


204  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Ireland  was  in  sight,  and  we  are  now  sailing  along  the  coast,  a 
beautiful,  warm  summer's  day,  bright  sun,  and  everything  look- 
ing cheerful,  and  all  the  passengers  on  deck.  We  are  just  off 
Cape  Clear,  with  Falstell  light,  a  solitary  rock,  with  a  light- 
house some  miles  from  land,  visible  for  a  great  distance.  The 
coast  is  rocky,  hilly,  thinly  inhabited.  Just  behind  these  hills 
are  the  Lakes  of  Killarney,  the  most  beautiful  spot  in  Ireland, 
they  say.  ...  1  am  feeling  and  doing  very  well,  as  is  Mr. 
Gallagher.  This  week  has  been  pleasant,  a  quiet  company,  a 
quiet  passage,  only  ten  days  out,  all  the  dangers  of  the  sea  past. 
May  I  be  as  thankful  %s  I  ought. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  [then  in  Switzerland]  : 

Off  Cafe  Clear,  June  14,  1859. 

My  dear  George  :  Know  by  these  presents  that  I  am  safe 
and  well  on  the  same  side  of  the  ocean  with  you — much  to  my 
admiration  !  a  nice  voyage,  and  already  feeling  the  invigorating 
effects.  ...  I  hope  to  be  in  Vevay  the  last  of  July.  Write 
me  at  London,  poste  restante  to  reach  there  about  July  10th. 
Best  love  to  your  wife.  A  bit  end  of  the  enclosed  letter  flew  off 
into  the  ocean,  as  I  was  opening  it ;  she  can  guess  at  the  con- 
tents. Will  you  go  with  me  through  Germany  in  August,  to 
our  old  haunts  ?  That  is  my  plan.  It  seems  like  a  dream 
that  I  am  again  in  the  Old  World.  Won't  we  have  eine  rasende 
Zeit  f    God  bless  you  all. 

To  his  wife : 

Dublin,  June  16. 

I  mailed  my  letter  to  you  yesterday  morning  at  Cork.  We 
left  there  at  ten  o'clock  and  arrived  here  at  four,  a  hundred  and 
sixty  miles.  The  country  is  now  in  its  freshest  verdure,  and 
Ireland  looks  like  anything  but  a  poor  land.  The  southern  part 
is  rich  and  fertile.  .  .  .  The  road  is  capitally  built,  all 
fenced  in  ;  every  road  must  go  over  or  under  the  track.  The 
buildings  at  each  station  are  of  solid  stone,  and  the  stone-walls 
have  roses  and  climbing  plants  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Arriving  here,  we  got  into  one  of  those  comical  Irish  jaunting 
cars,  and  drove  to  the  Gresham  House,  Sackville  street,  where 
we  now  are. 


Lcttcj^s  from  Eui^ope.  205 

I  made  twb  calls  last  evening.  This  morning  an  invitation  to 
dine  at  Mr.  James  Houghton's  (Mr.  Dow  introduced  me).  Last 
evening  walked  round  Trinity  College  grounds,  extensive  ;  and 
went  to  an  Irish  horticultural  show.  .  .  .  People  seem  to 
think  that  the  new  ministry  increases  the  chances  for  a  speedy 
termination  of  the  war. 

Dublin,  June  17. 

It  is  before  breakfast,  and  we  are  to  breakfast  with  Dr.  Kil- 
patrick,  to  whom  Mr.  Shaw  gave  me  a  letter.  I  awoke  last 
night  after  a  nap,  and  it  was  so  light  I  thought  morning  must 
have  dawned.  I  looked  at  my  watch  (it  was  light  enough  to  see 
the  time  distinctly),  and  it  was  a  quarter  after  two.  The  twi- 
light keeps  on  here  till  about  ten,  and  begins  again  at  two. 
.  .  .  Yesterday  morning  Mr.  Houghton  came  just  as  I  was 
writing  to  you,  and  toolc  me  off  to  Trinity  College.  We  caught 
a  Fellow,  and  he  and  the  librarian  showed  us  the  library, 
200,000  volumes,  besides  pamphlets,  etc.  There  are  here  mag- 
nificent missals,  etc.,  illuminated  ;  a  very  famous  codex,  the 
Montfortianus,  the  oldest  containing  the  disputed  passage  of  the 
three  heavenly  witnesses.  The  library  of  Archbishop  Usher  is 
here,  a  part  of  the  collection,  bequeathed  by  him. 

Giants'  Causeway,  Sunday,  June  19. 

Friday  afternoon  I  left  Dublin,  went  to  Belfast  (leaving  Gal- 
lagher to  hunt  up  his  genealogy  in  Dublin),  spent  the  morning 
there,  and  in  the  afternoon  came  on  sixty  miles  to  Port  Rush ; 
thence  seven  miles,  by  a  jaunting  car,  to  this  place.  Last 
evening  visited  the  Causeway  with  a  guide,  and  this  morn- 
ing have  been  walking  round  on  the  cliffs,  alone,  for  several 
miles.  It  is  very,  very  grand,  not  exaggerated  in  pictures  and 
descriptions.  I  have  been  reveling  in  its  sublimity,  and  spent  a 
very  profitable  Sunday,  thus  far.  True,  there  has  been  mist 
and  rain  (the  first  since  I  landed),  but  with  intervals  of  bright- 
ness and  clearness,  enough  to  show  the  scenes  in  all  their  variety. 
.  .  .  But  I  must  go  back  and  tell  you  about  matters  in  Dub- 
lin. On  Thursday  went  to  Trinity  College  again  with  Mr. 
Houghton,  and  saw  the  library,  etc.  In  the  examination  room 
is  an  organ  taken  from  one  of  the  ships  of  the  Spanish  Armada. 
Attended  an  examination  of  four  candidates  for  scholarships,  for 


2o6  Henry  Boynton  S^nith. 

an  hour  or  two,  an  examination  in  the  classics,  not  Yery  severe,  I 
thought.  .  .  .  Drove  through  Phoenix  Park  (1,750  acres) 
with  Mr.  G,  many  pretty  points,  noble  trees,  mansion  of  the 
lord  lieutenant,  etc.  Soldiers  and  constabulary  police  going 
through  their  drills.  Beyond  the  park  was  a  mile  or  two  of 
strawberry  beds,  on  the  banks  o£  the  Liffey,  on  which  Dublin 
lies.  The  strawberries  we  ate  were  pale,  not  as  good  as  at  home. 
We  dined  at  ]\rr.  H.'s,  a  teetotaller,  a  vegetarian  and  radical,  but 
a  most  excellent,  well-informed,  hospitable  man  ;  the  daugh- 
ters appeared  very  pleasant  and  cultivated.  One  other  place  we 
visited  in  Dublin  was  the  Irish  Historical  Society  rooms.  A 
Mr.  Clibborn  showed  us  great  attention,  explaining  the  very 
curious  iron  relics,  e.  g.,  a  cross  of  the  fourth  or  fifth  century, 
Irish  work  (opus  Hibernicum)  in  gold  and  silver,  or,  rather, 
skillful  imitations  of  the  genuine  original  threaded  work  which 
was  right  famous  in  its  day  ;  old  MSS.  enclosed  in  heavy  cases, 
capitally  worked,  with  crystals  inserted,  etc. ;  the  MS.  of  the  work 
of  the  Four  Masters  on  the  genealogies,  etc.,  of  Ireland,  very 
carefully  kept,  etc.,  etc. 

But,  back  to  the  Causeway.  Two  miles  off  is  the  seat  of  Sir 
Edward  McNaghten,  who  owns  the  region.  His  family  drove  in 
state  to  the  little  chapel  near  the  Causeway,  where  service  was 
held  at  four  o'clock,  the  archdeacon.  Smith,  reading  it ;  it  was 
quite  impressive  to  see  how  such  services  are  conducted  in  the 
country,  with  the  great  man  present  and  his  tenantry  around. 
Sir  Edward  had  a  son  beheaded  in  the  East  Indian  insurrection, 
and  another  son  in  the  army  there.  Three  miles  off  are  the 
ruins  of  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  old  castles  in  Ireland,  Dun- 
luce. 

Belfast,  Monday,  .June  20. 

You'll  be  very  likely  to  get  a  straggling  epistle,  as  you  see.  A 
call  to  breakfast  interrupted  me,  as  I  was  writing  the  above  at 
Portrush,  a  nice  place,  grand  surf  bathing,  good  people  and 
hotel.  I  like  the  Irish  at  home  much  better  than  in  America  ; 
they  are  cordial  and  courteous,  attentive  and  not  intrusive.  At 
the  Causeway  yesterday,  met  a  rare  specimen  of  the  London 
cockney,  voluble,  impulsive,  smart,  familiar,  rude  ;  didn't  care 
to  know  his  name.  ...  I  have  just  come  to  Belfast;  no 
signs  as  yet  of  Mr.  Gallagher.     To-night  I  go  to  Glasgow. 


Letters  from  Europe.  207 

Afternoon. — Prof.  Gibson  took  me  away  just  then,  to  visit 
one  of  the  national  schools,  of  one  thousand  one  hundred  chil- 
dren, a  goodly  spectacle.  Dined  with  him.  .  .  .  I  go  to 
Glasgow,  lona,  Staffa,  Loch  Lomond,  the  Trossachs  and  Edin- 
burgh, and  shall  write  you  all  along  the  way. 

Edinburgh,  Sunday,  June  26,  1859. 

It  is  hardly  three  weeks  since  I  left  New  York,  and  I  have  al- 
ready seen  as  much  of  Ireland  and  Scotland  as  I  need,  or  can  at 
'present.  I  had  no  idea  that  I  could  get  along  so  rapidly.  But, 
but — not  a  word  from  you  yet.  .  .  .  This  morning  I  went 
to  hear  Dr.  Candlish;  a  good  sermon  on  the  Restoration  of  the 
Jews,  delivered  very,  very  badly,  drawling  voice,  all  sorts  of  ac- 
cents and  tones  and  emphasis,  a  nervous,  twitching  manner, 
bending  down  over  his  notes  very  closely.  The  congregational 
singing  was  very  good.  .  .  .  But  I  must  not  stay  on  these 
things  [descriptions  of  Edinburgh  and  its  vicinity]  ;  you  shall 
read  up  the  guide-books  and  see  the  prints.  My  health  is  very 
good,  and  I  feel  a  great  indisposition  to  any  mental  labor.  I 
wonder  how  I  could  work  so  many  hours  in  my  study  at  home. 

My  last  letter  was  from  Belfast.  On  Monday  night  I  came  by 
steam  to  Glasgow,  a  beautiful  sail  up  the  Clyde,  the  barren  hills 
of  Scotland  and  the  heather  beginning  to  appear.  At  Glasgow 
called  on  Dr.  Fairbairn  and  Mr.  Henderson  ;  went  to  a  meeting 
on  Bible  in  East  Indian  schools,  for  two  hours ;  by  rail  to  John- 
stone with  Mr.  Arthur  Stoddard,  who  has  a  charming  place. 
.  .  .  Tuesday  to  Glasgow,  caught  the  train  for  Loch  Lomond, 
through  that  beautiful  lake,  across  from  Inversmaid  to  Loch 
Katrine,  over  that  by  steam,  five  miles  ;  landed,  and  went  by 
stage  through  the  Trossachs,  a  wild  romantic  pass  ;  coach  for 
nine  miles  to  Callender ;  thence  rail  back  to  Glasgow,  passing 
through  Stirling  and  having  a  good  view  of  its  grand  old  castle, 
commanding  a  wide  and  beautiful  plain.  On  Wednesday  to  this 
place,  where  I  rejoined  Gallagher.  That  day  in  the  highlands 
(or  islands  as  a  London  cockney  here  calls  them),  was  in  part 
rainy  but  with  intervals  of  clearness  and  brightness,  so  that 
we  saw  Ben  Lomond  (from  the  loch)  and  the  other  Bens  very 
well.     .     .     . 

Monday  morning,  June  27. — I  leave  this  morning,  go  to  York, 


2o8  He7iry  Boynton  Smith, 

Manchester,  Chatsworth,  north  of  Wales,  Oxford,  and  expect  to 
be  in  London  on  Saturday.  I  tead  at  Miss  Maxwell's,  and  heard 
Hanna,  son-in-law  of  Chalmers. 

Caernarvon,  Wales,  near  Snowdon,  June  29,  1859. 

.  .  .  Here  I  am,  in  the  midst  of  Welsh  scenery,  impressive 
and  beautiful,  if  not  grand.  Before  me  are  the  Menai  Straits 
and  the  coast  of  Anglesea  ;  from  the  hill  just  behind  the  hotel  I 
can  see,  eight  miles  back,  the  Britannia  tubular  bridge,  and  the 
suspension  bridge  of  Menai  Straits  ;  to  the  east  is  the  range  of 
Snowdon,  sharp,  angular  hills,  and  along  the  sides  are  the  slate 
quarries  ;  and  in  the  west,  the  sun,  now  at  nine  o'clock,  is  just 
setting  in  splendor.  The  day  has  been  very  fine,  and  all  promises 
well  for  my  to-morrow's  coaching  across  the  north  of  Wales  to 
Llangollen  (pronounced  Llangoc/den). 

But  I  must  tell  you  what  I  have  been  about  since  Monday. 
On  Monday  I  made  a  farewell  call  on  Miss  Maxwell,  who  has 
been  very  kind,  and  took  the  rail  to  Melrose.  .  .  .  Then  I 
walked  to  Abbotsford,  three  miles.  ...  I  can't  stop  to  de- 
scribe places  and  sensations,  but  must  hui*ry  on.  I  walked  back 
to  Melrose  and  took  the  evening  train,  arriving  in  York  about 
two  o'clock  the  next  morning.  Tuesday  morning  went  all 
through  the  York  minster.  I  meant  to  have  attended  service 
there,  but  the  organ,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  kingdom,  is  now 
under  repairs.  The  minster  is  a  vast,  stately  pile,  some  of  the 
windows  are  admirable  ;  the  interior  is  well-lighted  and  lofty. 

After  going  through  the  minster,  I  took  the  train,  and  ar- 
rived at  Manchester  about  four  o'clock,  and  walked  round  to  see 
its  chief  buildings.  So  much  for  Tuesday.  This  morning,  left 
Manchester  and  came  to  Chester,  and  thence  along  the  northern 
coast  of  Wales,  sea  in  view,  through  Conway  (castle)  and  Bangor 
to  this  place.  The  day  has  been  capital,  and  would  that  you 
could  have  enjoyed  all  these  things  with  me.  It  is  all  that  I 
needed  to  the  completeness  of  the  pleasure.  It  seems  almost 
wrong  for  me  to  have  all  these  pleasures  and  you  not  to  share 
them. 

Birmingham,  Friday  morning,  July  1. 
Yesterday  was  a  beautiful  day,  through  some  of  the  finest 


Letters  from  Europe.  209 

scenery  in  Wales,  right  under  Snowdon  and  along  the  banks  of 
the  Dee,  to  Llangollen,  sixty  miles,  capital  road,  on  top  of  the 
coach,  etc.  .  .  .  This  afternoon  I  shall  be  in  Oxford.  A 
letter  from  home  I  am  longing  for  with  all  my  heart. 

London,  July  8,  1859. 

The  best  part  of  London  is — your  two  letters,  which  have  at 
last  reached  me.  ...  I  am  to  start  for  Caml)ridge  in  half 
an  hour,  and  have  only  time  to  jot  down  my  itinerary  since  I 
last  wrote. 

Friday,  July  1. — At  Oxford  ;  the  most  impressive  city  I  have 
seen.  Gladstone  just  returned  as  member  of  the  House  for  Ox- 
ford. Visited,  this  day  and  the  next,  nearly  all  the  colleges,  and 
fell  in  with  some  very  pleasant  people.  ...  I  also  attended 
some  examinations  for  the  little-go,  etc.  Eeached  London  Sat- 
urday night.  Sunday,  service  at  St.  Paul's  and  at  Westminster 
Abbey ;    preaching  ordinary,   the  singing  admirable.      Sunday 

evening  found   Mr.    Gallagher    and    the   F s   and    C s. 

Mr.  G.  is  worn  and  tired,  very  lame,  cannot  go  sight-seeing; 
will  go  to  Paris  and  Vevay  with  me,  probably.  .  .  .  Mon- 
day.— Crystal  Palace,  exceeding  all  my  expectations.  Tues- 
day, to  see  Miss  Bird,* — very  cordial,  as  were  her  mother 
and  sister.  Miss  B.  now  edits  the  Beacon.  .  .  .  Ee turned, 
and  sailed  up  and  down  the  Thames.  .  .  .  Wednesday, 
called  on  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (introduction  from  Miss 
Bird),  but  he  was  off.  Called  on  Dean  Trench  of  Westminster, 
very  cordial,  gave  me  letters  to  Cambridge  and  one  to  the 
Bishop  of  Oxford.  Called  on  Dean  of  St.  Paul's,  not  at  home. 
Went  to  House  of  Lords,  etc.  Saw  the  grand  display  at  Hyde 
Park.     Tea  with  the  F s. 

Thursday,  called  on  Dr.  ILimilton  and  F.  D.  Maurice,  at- 
tended the  House  of  Commons,  order  from  Mr.  Kinnaird 
(through  Miss  Bird)  ;  order  for  House  of  Lords  from  Bishop 
of  Oxford,  etc.  This  morning  just  starting  for  Cambridge, 
to  return  to-morrow,  and  go  to  Paris,  probably  next  Wednes- 
day. 

*Miss  Tsjibella  L.  Bird,  author  of  books  of  travels  on  Japan,  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  the  Rocky  Mountains,  etc. 
14 


2IO  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Cambridge,  July  9. 

My  letters  to  Cambridge  are  of  no  use,  for  everybody  is  away. 
I  had  four  or  five,  one  to  Dr.  Whewell.  I  arrived  here  about 
seven  last  evening,  visited  several  colleges,  fell  in  with  a  Fellow 
of  Pembroke  (where  Spenser  and  William  Pitt  were  taught), 
who  has  promised  to  go  round  with  me  to-day.  Then  I  walked 
about  two  and  a  half  miles,  to  the  village  of  Trumpington,  to 
find  the  vicar,  J.  Grote,  to  whom  I  had  a  letter,  but  he  is  on  the 
Isle  of  Wight.  But  the  walk  was  magnificent,  clear  air,  sun  till 
half-past  eight,  then  a  fair  moon.  The  whole  region  is  in  the 
highest  state  of  cultivation.  Trinity  College  has  noble  grounds 
and  walks,  vistas  of  trees  ;  the  Cam  runs  behind  this  and  behind 
several  others  of  the  colleges,  St.  John's,  St.  Catherine's,  etc. 
Even  a  stranger  sees  and  feels  the  great  difference  between  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge.  The  very  style  of  the  colleges  and  the 
hues  of  the  buildings  indicate  it. 

London,  Sunday,  July  11. 

Saturday  I  spent  at  Cambridge,  very  pleasantly.  Mr.  Fergu- 
son, the  Fellow  of  Pembroke,  was  very  civil.  In  Trinity  College 
library  is  Newton's  telescope,  etc. ;  the  MS.  of  Milton's  Paradise 
Lost,  the  first  letter  of  Lord  Byron,  the  Scotch  Solemn  League 
and  Covenant ;  at  Christ's  College  is  a  mulberry  planted  by  Mil- 
ton, from  which  I  got  a  leaf  for  you.  .  .  .  To  day  I  have 
heard  Spurgeon  and  Maurice,  and  attended  the  services  in  West- 
minster Abbey,  for  which  I  refer  you  to  the  enclosed  letter  to 
mother. 

To  Ms  mother : 

London,  July  11,  1859. 

.  .  .  To-day  I  have  heard  Spurgeon,  to  an  audience  of 
seven  thousand,  in  Surrey  Garden  Hall,  a  magnificent  spectacle. 
I  was  as  far  from  him  as  I  could  be  in  the  Hall,  and  heard  every 
word.  He  has  a  superb  voice,  a  natural,  easy  manner,  great  force 
and  plainness  of  speech.  .  .  .  This  afternoon  I  heard  F.  D. 
Maurice,  a  very  thoughtful  discourse.  This  evening  I  have  been 
at  the  special  service  at  Westminster  Abbey,  a  congregation  of 
three  thousand  ;  very  impressive  in  that  grand  church. 


Letters  from  Europe.  2 1 1 

To  Ms  wife : 

July  13. 

.  .  .  Monday  met  President  Pierce  and  Hawthorne  at 
Dallas's.  In  the  evening  to  the  House  of  Lords  and  heard 
Brougham,  etc.  Then  called  on  Joseph  Gurney,  a  delightful 
man.  Then  dined  (at  7.30)  at  Dean  Trench's.  .  .  .  Dr. 
Trench  was  very  cordial,  and  talked  a  good  deal  about  our  af- 
fairs. He  thinks  Hawthorn  the  most  original  American  since 
Jonathan  Edwards.  There  were  several  pleasant  people,  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  I  enjoyed  it  much.  The  Dean  of  St.  Paul's 
[Milman]  called  on  me  while  I  Avas  out ;  he  has  been  out  of 
town.  Yesterday  morning  I  breakfasted  at  eight  with  the  com- 
mittee of  the  Tract  Society,  Gurney,  Davis,  Hawkins,  etc.,  and 
we  talked  over  our  affairs.  Then  I  went  to  the  Bible  Society, 
and  Mr.  Bergne  was  vei-y  kind  in  showing  me  round.  .  .  . 
Last  evening  I  was  in  the  House  of  Commons  for  two  or  three 
hours,  and  I  could  not  have  seen  it  to  better  advantage.  I 
heard  Palmerston,  Lord  John  Eussell,  Disraeli,  Lowe,  Ellice, 
Bright,  etc.  The  event  was  the  announcement  by  Lord  John 
Eussell,  at  the  interrogation  of  Disraeli,  of  the  peace  between 
France  and  Austria ;  great  cheering.  The  thing  was  done  in 
the  most  simple  style.  In  both  Houses  there  is  no  attemj^t  at 
oratory  on  ordinary  occasions ;  it  is  simple  conversation  and 
honest  talk. 

To-day  I  go  to  the  British  Museum  and  National  Gallery,  and 
to  see  the  Dean  of  St.  Paul's  ;  and  to-morrow  to  Paris,  with  Galla- 
gher, where  I  hope  to  be  in  time  to  see  the  glorification  upon 
the  Emperor's  return.  All  England  is  very  suspicious  of  the 
Emperor,  but  obliged  to  praise  his  magnanimity  and  dexterity. 

Paris,  July  17. 

Hotel  du  Louvre,  au  quatrieme,  the  finest  hotel  in  the  world, 
where  we  arrived  Friday  morning  at  six  o'clock,  having  left  Lon- 
don on  Thursday  at  eleven  a.  m.  "We  came  via.  Dieppe.  .  .  . 
After  I  wrote  you  in  London,  on  Wednesday  last,  I  had  a  very 
pleasant  call  at  Dean  Milman's  (to  whom  Mr.  Bancroft  had 
introduced  me).  Then  I  spent  a  large  part  of  the  day  in  the 
British  Museum,  partly  in  its  library.  The  collections  at  the 
museum  and  the  edifice,  too,  are  very  much  enlarged  since  I  was 


212  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

there  twenty  years  ago.  .  .  .  The  transition  from  the 
excessive  heat  of  London  (thermometer  90°)  to  the  ocean  breeze 
was  very  delightful.  .  .  .  To-day  I  preached  at  the  Ameri- 
can Chapel  for  Mr.  Seelye,  an  audience  of  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty,  in  a  pleasant  room.  Saw  at  the  chapel,  also,  Dr.  Evans, 
the  famous  dentist,  who  had  just  come  from  St.  Cloud  to  an- 
nounce to  Mr.  S.  that  the  Emperor  had  just  arrived  privately 
from  Italy,  safe  and  well,  and  to  ask  Mr.  S.  to  refer  to  it  in  his 
prayers,  which  was  done. 

Paris,  July  21. 

"We  start  this  evening  for  Geneva.  I  shall  be  at  Vevay  on  Sat- 
urday, and  spend  the  Sunday  with  our  dear  friends,  the  Pren- 
tisses.  We  should  probably  have  stayed  here  longer,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  excessive  heat.  .  .  .  But  we  have  had  a  very 
nice  time,  and  Mr.  Gr.  has  improved  m  health  and  spirits,  .  .  . 
Paris  is  now  a  wonderfully  fine  city.  It  has  exceedingly  im- 
proved since  I  was  here  before.  Some  parts  of  it  I  could  not 
recognize.  .  .  .  We  spent  one  day  at  Versailles,  and  a  grand 
day  it  was.  I  made  a  pleasant  call  on  M.  Cousin,  who  was  very 
cordial  and  impressive.  He  is  a  first-rate  talker  as  well  as  writer. 
We  visited,  too,  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  which  also  has  been 
re-made  by  the  present  Emperor.  Notre  Dame  is  now  in  the 
course  of  restoration.  To-day  we  have  seen  the  Hotel  de  Ville, 
the  Sainte  Chapelle,  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  etc.  The  Invalides 
is  now  a  most  splendid  (French)  monument  to  Napoleon.  Eu- 
rope has  not  another  such  mausoleum.  ...  On  Monday, 
just  after  writing  you,  I  had  a  letter  from  Prentiss,  expecting 
me  earnestly. 

Vevay,  July  26,  1859. 
Campagne  Genevriere: 

Here  I  am  with  the  Prentisses,  arriving  Saturday  evening.  It 
is  a  glorious  country.  They  have  a  very  beautiful  place,  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  Vevay,  on  the  hill-side,  and  commanding  mag- 
nificent views  of  the  mountains  and  lake.  The  Dent  du  Midi, 
covered  with  snow,  is  right  in  front ;  and  all  around  is  an  end- 
less variety  of  mountains,  fields,  grape  vines,  etc.  .  .  .  We 
left  Paris  on  Thursday  night,  and  reached  Lyons  Friday  after- 


Letters  from  Europe,  213 

noon,  and  reached  Geneva  about  eleven  o'clock.  Part  of  the 
way  was  through  the  passes  of  tlie  Jura,  and  very  fine  indeed. 
Geneva  is  changing,  and  more  beautiful  than  ever.  Saturday 
morning  we  went  to  the  Cathedral,  and  round  the  walls  and 
ramparts.  .  .  .  We  had  a  fine  sail  across  the  lake.  Prentiss 
met  us  at  the  lauding.  .  .  .  This  is  a  very  beautiful  place. 
The  air  is  delicious  and  bracing,  much  superior  to  the  fervors  of 
Paris  and  London.  I  am  very  well.  Prentiss  and  Gallagher 
both  wonder  at  me  for  being  able  to  do  so  much.  To-morrow  I 
may  start  for  Turin  and  Florence,  to  be  absent  about  ten  days, 
and  then  return  and  spend  a  week  with  George, 

Leghorn,  Wednesday,  August  3. 

I  wrote  you  yesterday  a  note  from  Florence,  saying  that  I  was 
going  to  Pome,  but  on  arriving  here  I  found  that  the  boat  was 
disabled,  and  there  will  be  none  till  Saturday.  So  I  have  deter- 
mined, with  the  greatest  reluctance,  to  give  up  my  visit  there, 
and  to  go  back  to  Genoa  to-night,  and  to-morrow  to  Milan.  I 
am  very  sorry,  for  my  heart  was  set  on  seeing  the  eternal  city, 
after  being  so  near  to  it.  The  weather,  too,  is  very  oppressive, 
and,  though  I  am  very  well,  perhaps  a  fortnight  more  would 
wear  upon  me.  So  I  have  concluded  to  leave  Rome  until  we  can 
go  together  ;  when  will  that  be  ?  Before  I  left  Vevay,  I  wrote  to 
Tholuck,  asking  where  he  would  be  the  last  of  this  month. 

I  left  Vevay  a  week  ago  to-day,  for  this  trip.  The  sail  upon 
Lake  Leman  was  charming  ;  Mont  Blanc  appeared  the  last  part 
of  the  way.  At  Geneva  I  called  to  see  Gaussen  ;  he  was  away, 
but  I  shall  see  him  and  Dr.  Malan  on  my  return.  That  night  I 
went  by  railroad  to  Chambery,  and  the  next  day  to  St.  Jean 
Maurienne,  where  the  journey  across  the  Mt.  Cenis  pass  begins. 
For  companions  there  were  a  Russian  count  and  his  wife.  The 
passes  and  mountains  Avere  very  fine,  many  of  the  summits  still 
covered  with  snow.  At  midnight  I  changed  my  place  for  the 
Interior,  where  were  two  priests  and  two  nuns.  As  morning 
began  to  dawn,  we  were  descending  rapidly  toward  the  plains  of 
Italy,  and  the  scenery  became  more  varied  and  magnificent. 
Before  we  reached  Susa  we  passed  some  five  thousand  or  seven 
thousand  French  troops,  on  their  return  from  the  Italian  cam- 
paign.    From  Susa,  railroad   to   Turin,  where  I  stayed  about 


214  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

twenty-four  hours.  .  ,  .  An  Italian  population  at  twilight 
in  the  gardens  and  environs,  is  a  study  for  a  Yankee.  Eailroad 
to  Genoa,  through  Alessandria.  At  Genoa  I  found  a  commis- 
sionaire who  talked  English,  and  he  led  me  through  all  the  intrica- 
cies of  the  police  and  the  quays,  before  showing  me  the  city, Genoa 
la  Superba.  Its  site  is  magnificent,  a  city  of  palaces,  surmounted 
by  eight  or  ten  large  fortresses,  which  keep  the  people  quiet.  .  .  , 
The  quays  are  loaded  with  the  provisions  forwarded  for  the  French 
troops.  Steamboat  to  Leghorn  ;  a  beautiful  evening  and  night, 
brilliant  sky  ;  the  shores  bold  and  varied,  and  studded  with  vil- 
las ;  quite  a  perfect  specimen  of  an  Italian  night,  and  of  a  trip 
on  the  Mediterranean,  which  I  then  saw  for  the  first  time.  .  .  . 
From  Leghorn  to  Florence,  about  fifty  miles  by  railroad,  passing 
through  Pisa,  with  its  famous  leaning  tower.  My  three  days  at 
Florence  were  as  pleasant  and  profitable  as  any  hitherto.  I  was 
at  the  Hotel  of  New  York.  When  I  drove  up,  three  or  four  ser- 
vants appeared  and  received  me  with  the  greatest  distinction,  I 
was  ushered  into  a  magnificent  bedroom,  twenty  feet  high  and 
more  than  twenty  feet  square ;  the  servant  hoped  I  should  find 
it  suitable,  and  said  the  Padrone  would  soon  call  upon  me,  he 
then  being  at  his  toilet.  Soon  the  Padrone  came,  and  I  found 
that  I  had  been  mistaken  for  somebody  else  !  But  still  I  kept 
my  room  and  was  well  entertained.  AVhat  I  saw  in  Florence  I 
have  no  time  to  recount  at  length.  It  is  indeed  wonderful — its 
galleries  and  churches.  For  three  days  I  fairly  revelled  in  these 
noble  works.  The  Italians  do  not  think  that  the  Italian  ques- 
tion is  yet  settled.  Tuscany  Avill  make  great  resistance  to  the 
return  of  the  ducal  family.  The  disbanded  volunteers  are  col- 
lecting in  the  duchy  and  in  the  Legations.     The  end  is  not  yet. 

Mn.AN,  August  5. 

Safe  in  Milan  ;  went  over  the  battle-field  of  Magenta,  ridge  of 
Buffalora,  etc.  The  railroads  crowded  with  French  troops.  In 
our  train  about  five  hundred  Austrian  prisoners.  Weather 
superb. 

To  Prof.  R.  D.  HitclicocJc : 

Milan,  August  7,  1859, 

,     .     .     I  am  here  at  a  fortunate  juncture.     The  king,  Victor 


Letters  from  Europe.  2 1 5 

Emanuel,  made  to-day  his  public  entrance  into  the  city,  and  I 
heard,  in  the  magnificent  Cathedral,  the  Te  Deum  whicli  cele- 
brated the  entries  of  the  allied  armies.  Few  services,  few  scenes 
could  be  more  impressive.  The  Duomo  itself  is  a  structure 
which  makes  me  thankful  it  has  been  given  to  human  genius  to 
create  such  miracles  of  art. 

This  morning  I  attended  service  in  the  church  of  St.  Am- 
brose, an  ancient  and  peculiar  pile.  It  was  worth  something,  on 
going  forth  from  that  church,  to  come,  by  accident,  upon  a 
chapel  with  this  inscription  :  Divus  Augustinus  ad  lucem  fidei 
per  sanctum  Ambrosium  evocatus  hie  unda  coelesti  abluitur 
Anno  Domini  CCCLXXXVIII.  Of  course  I  entered  and  paid 
my  vows. 

To-morrow  I  leave  for  Como,  Lago  Maggiore,  etc.,  to  return 
to  Vevay,  via  the  Simplon,  and  spend  a  week  or  two  with  Pren- 
tiss. .  .  .  Nobody  here  believes  in  the  settlement  of  the  Italian 
question  ;  men's  hearts  are  still  full  of  perplexity.  The  rail- 
roads are  crowded  with  soldiers  and  the  materials  of  war  passing 
and  repassing.  Italy  will  not,  without  a  struggle,  suffer  those 
exiled  Bourbons  to  return. 

To  Ms  wife : 

Vevay,  August  17,  1859. 

.  .  .  I  am  enjoying  this  quiet  life  with  the  Prentisses. 
Last  Sunday  was  a  delightful  Sabbath,  full  of  blessed  memories 

and  prayers  and  purposes.     Yesterday  was  W 's   birthday. 

God  bless  the  boy  and  make  him  a  great  comfort  and  blessing  to 
his  mother.  .  .  .  Yesterday  we  had  a  pleasant  visit  at  Lau- 
sanne, and  saw  the  great  bazaar  and  bought  up  things,  and  saw 
Bridel  and  Astie,  the  latter  will  write  for  my  Review.  Dr. 
Buck  was  here  Thursday,  very  cheerful.  .  .  .  These  moun- 
tains and  this  lake  are  always  glorious  and  always  changing  ;  and 
something  of  this  peace  and  beauty  and  variety  of  nature  steal 
into  the  soul.  I  left  Milan  a  week  ago  yesterday.  That  day  to 
and  up  Lake  Como,  most  beautiful  as  far  as  Menaggio.  There 
met  Prof.  Fontana  of  Paris ;  together  by  post,  to  Porlezza  on 
Lake  Lugano,  hired  a  boat  across  this  lake  to  Lugano,  about 
twelve  miles,  with  two  stout  men  for  rowers,  and  arrived  at 
Lugano  at  nightfall  ;  here  left  Prof.  F.  (a  most  pleasant  com- 


2i6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

paiiion) ;  met  by  accident,  in  the  street,  a  son  of  Dr.  Prime,  and 
one  of  our  students  (Baird),  on  their  way  to  Milan.  Tuesday 
morning,  diligence  at  half-past  four  o'clock  to  Lake  Maggiore, 
eight  or  ten  miles  ;  down  the  lake  about  thirty  miles,  to  Isola 
Bella.  .  .  .  Took  the  diligence  that  afternoon,  and  passed 
the  night  at  Domo  d'Osola ;  a  cultivated  Frenchman  on  the 
box  with  me.  Wednesday  morning,  six  o'clock,  diligence  to 
ascend  the  Simplon  ;  this  road  is  indeed  magnificent,  far  sur- 
passing Mont  Cenis.  An  English  painter,  an  Italian  refugee,  a 
monk  of  the  Simplon  hospice,  were  of  the  party.  At  the  summit, 
the  hospice.  The  monk  invited  us  all  in  and  gave  us  wine  and 
cakes.  Here  are  dogs,  as  at  St.  Bernard  ;  beds  for  two  hundred. 
The  hospice  built  by  Napoleon,  as  was  the  road.  The  descent 
was  superb.  Tea  at  Brigue,  a  queer  old  town.  And  then  the 
valley  of  the  Ehone,  until  we  arrived  at  Vevay  ;  in  the  night 
rain,  and  we  floundered  along  in  the  water  up  to  the  hubs  of  the 
wheels.  A  letter  from  Tholuck,  who  is  now  way  down  on  the 
borders  of  Italy.  ...  I  must  reserve  descriptions  until  I 
get  home. 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stearns : 

Vevay,  August  22,  1859. 

My  dear  Stearns  :  You  cannot  imagine  how  much  George 
and  I  pity  you,  forced  as  you  are  to  fight  the  battles  of  the 
Church  in  the  midst  of  these  summer  heats,  while  we  are  inhal- 
ing long  draughts  of  health  and  Alpine  air.  The  weather  here 
is  now  delicious,  and  for  a  week  and  a  half  I  have  been  delaying 
my  journey,  and  getting  capital  rest.  We  have  paid  you  back 
in  kind,  I  assure  you,  for  all  your  dissections  or  vivisections  of 
me  under  the  shadow  of  the  Dent  de  Jamon,  which  looks  as 
sharp  and  bold  as  ever.  ...  I  have  enjoyed  this  visit  here 
extremely.  It  has  done  my  heart,  and  soul,  and  mind  good,  as 
well  as  my  body.  The  whole  journey  has  proved  to  be  just 
what  I  have  needed.  I  have  traveled  pretty  fast  and  far,  yet 
without  much  weariness,  and  never  impeded  by  sickness.  .  .  . 
The  baby  is  doing  finely  and  promises  to  be  a  credit  to  the  fam- 
ily. I  had  the  great  pleasure  of  baptizing  him  last  Sunday,  by 
the  name  of  Henry  Smith.  I  feel  quite  proud  of  him  already, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  joy  of  knowing  that  these  dear  friends 


Letters  froTn  Europe.  2 1 7 

hold  me  in  such  regard.  You  can't  imagine  liow  George  takes 
to  farming.  I  think  it  must  somehow  have  been  born  in  him. 
His  horse,  and  cow,  and  hens,  and  guinea  pigs,  and  tomatoes,  and 
corn  for  the  cattle — he  really  makes  a  parish  out  of  them,  and  de- 
votes himself  to  these  pastoral  labors  with  all  zeal  and  earnest- 
ness. To  see  him  cut  corn  with  a  penknife  is  a  rare  treat !  And 
then  the  cow — there  never  was  such  another  cow — so  much 
milk,  such  good  milk,  such  butter  and  such  cream ;  and  then, 
too,  one  of  his  great  feats,  he  has  taught  the  cow  to  eat  green 
corn  stalks,  which  the  bete  had  never  done  before,  and  I  really 
think  that  George  enjoys  seeing  her  eat  them  as  much  as  he 
would  eating  them  himself.  And  then,  there's  the  horse ; 
lame,  of  course,  when  there  is  any  company,  but  the  best  horse 
for  the  price — better  than  the  New  York  animal  even— a  real 
treasure,  stowed  away  in  the  barn.  The  fellow  fell  lame,  and  it 
took  ten  men  and  a  doctor  to  burn  his  leg  out  in  stripes. 

Astie  and  Bridel  we  saw  at  Lausanne,  and  yesterday  A.  dined 
here  ;  he  will  communicate  the  Swiss  and  French  intelligence 
for  our  Revieiu.  He  is  now  preparing  a  work  on  Vinet,  which 
I  should  think  would  prove  valuable.  Our  proposed  trip  to 
Germany  we  have  given  up,  partly  because  George  cannot  very 
well  leave  his  family  at  present,  and  partly  because  Tholuck  is 
now  far  away  on  the  borders  of  Italy  in  the  Grisons.  After  so 
long  a  rest  and  recreation,  and  feeling  so  much  invigorated,  I 
begin  to  repent  of  my  idleness  and  to  wish  for  work.  May  the 
Lord  give  me  grace  to  work  better  than  ever  before.  Our  semi- 
nary is  always  in  my  thoughts  and  in  my  prayers.  May  no  evil 
befall  it.  ...  Keep  me,  my  dear  friend,  in  your  thoughts 
and  prayers,  and  may  the  Lord  bless  you. 

(Translation.) 

From  Prof.  TJioluch  to  H.  B.  S.,  received  at  Vevay  : 

"  Halle,  August  7,  1859. 

"Heaetily  beloved  Fkiend  in  the  Loed  :  What  a  surprise 
to  know  that  you  are  again  upon  the  Continent !  But,  at  the 
same  time,  what  a  disappointment  is  the  possibility  that  I  shall 
not  meet  two  of  the  three  Americans  whom  I  love  most!  The 
day  before  yesterday  I  finished  my  lectures,  and  am  ordered  by 


2i8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

my  physician  to  go  for  several  weeks  to  a  distant  place,  in  the 
Grisons,  on  the  borders  of  Italy,  near  Tivano  on  Lake  Buschiavo. 
I  would  not  mind  a  journey  in  order  to  meet  you,  but  I  am  un- 
certain about  this,  too.  If  this  reaches  you  before  your  journey 
to  the  Oberland,  I  shall  hope  to  meet  you,  for  you  can  come 
back  by  way  of  Buschiavo.  You  can  first  inquire  for  me  at  the 
Baths  of  La  Prese,  near  by,  and  if  I  am  not  there,  of  the  land- 
lord in  Buschiavo.  I  will  leave  my  address  at  La  Prese  if  I  do 
not  stay  there.  If  possible,  send  me  word,  poste  restante,  to 
Buschiavo.  But  my  wife  desires  to  see  you  both  as  strongly  as 
only  I  besides  do,  and  there  is  a  sure  hope  of  this.  She  goes 
early  in  September  to  the  Schlier  See,  near  Tegernsee,  not  far 
from  Munich,  to  visit  her  brother-in-law,  Herr  von  Turner,  and 
returns  the  last  of  September  to  Halle,  where  I  expect  to  be  the 
first  of  October.  If  I  understand  it  rightly,  you  will  be  in 
Geneva  till  the  tenth  of  September.  If  so,  then  let  it  be  fully 
decided  that  we  are  to  welcome  you  both  at  our  house  early  in 
October. 

"It  is  my  heartfelt  wish  to  God  that  since  we  are  again  so  near 
together,  we  may  once  more  press  each  other's  hands  and  look 
into  each  other's  eyes. 

"  In  true  friendship,  yours, 

"Tholuck." 

To  Ms  wife : 

Cologne,  August  31,  1859. 

I  have  spent  the  last  day  of  summer  in  visiting  the  Cathedral 
of  Cologne,  and  the  other  churches  and  collections  of  this  place. 
The  restorations  of  the  cathedral  are  much  further  advanced 
than  I  had  supposed.  It  will  be  a  most  magnificent  edifice. 
.  .  .  The  stained  glass  windows  given  by  King  Louis  of  Bava- 
ria are  certainly  most  admirable,  and  contrast  well  with  those  of 
Dlirer  on  the  south  side  of  the  nave.  I  have  been  to  see  the  pic- 
ture gallery  (private)  of  Baumeister  Wyers,  containing,  among 
other  things,  fine  paintings,  admirably  preserved,  by  Hemmling, 
Metsys,  the  Van  Eycks,  etc.  .  .  .  An  immense  iron  bridge 
now  spans  the  Ehine,  to  be  oj)ened  for  the  railway  and  for  traffic 
in  October,  a  work  that  has  already  cost  five  millions  of  tha- 
lers.     .    .    . 


Letters  from  Etirope.  2 1 9 

Yesterday  Wtis  a  fine  day  on  the  Rhine,  cool,  a  sliowcr  or  two, 
but  bright  hours  in  the  finest  portions,  and  I  do  not  regret  see- 
ing a  grand  view  under  a  sober  light.  The  Rhine  is,  and  will 
always  be  the  Rhine,  beautiful,  varied,  full  of  attractious;  but 
its  mere  material  beauty  did  not  strike  me  as  forcibly  as  it  did 
twenty  years  ago  :  alas,  I  was  younger  then  !  Monday  I  was  at 
Heidelberg  and  visited  its  noble  castle ;  the  guide  was  a  young 
lady,  who  quoted  Longfellow's  "  Excelsior  "  and  "Hiawatha." 
.  .  .  Sunday  I  was  at  Basle,  and  attended  service  in  the 
cathedral,  recently  restored,  and  a  fine  old  pile.  After  church  I 
fell  upon  Prof.  Hagenbach  and  prelate  Ullman  of  Carlsnihe, 
two  men  whom  I  had  been  wishing  to  see,  and  spent  an  hour 
with  them  in  Avalking  around  the  church,  etc.,  very  j^loasantly. 
Here  are  the  graves  of  Erasmus  and  (Ecolampadius.  We  went 
also  to  the  hall  where  the  great  Council  was  held,  now  containing 
a  collection  of  curiosities  and  antiquities. 

Saturday  morning  last  I  was  on  top  of  the  Rhigi,  a  magnifi- 
cent sunrise,  j^erfectly  clear,  a  great  rarity.  It  was  superb. 
,  .  .  The  descent  to  Arth  and  Lake  Zug  was  easily  accom- 
plished in  three  hours,  in  company  wdth  an  English  M.D.,  who 
quoted  Praed  at  a  great  rate.  There  we  had  a  nice  sail  across 
Zug  Lake  to  Zug ;  in  diligence,  with  English  people,  to  Lake 
Zurich.     ... 

Steamer  between  Rotterdam  and  London,  SeiDtember  6. 

So  I  have  fairly  quitted  the  Continent  and  turned  my  face 
homeward  in  good  earnest.  ...  I  had  a  good  time  among 
the  Dutch,  and,  for  the  time,  saw  a  good  deal  of  this  peculiar 
people,  the  people  of  the  covenants,  theologically  speaking,  I 
was  at  the  Hague,  Leyden,  Amsterdam  (and  Broeck)  for  two 
days,  Utrecht  and  Rotterdam  ;  everywhere  windmills,  flats,  wil- 
lows and  poplars,  dykes,  canals,  black  and  Avhite  cattle  innumer- 
able, and  sheep  in  abundance  (we  have  1,200  aboard  of  our 
steamer).  .  ,  .On  Friday  morning  last  I  left  Rotterdam  for 
the  Hague,  just  passing  through  Uelft  and  remembering  Delft 
Haven.  At  the  Hague,  a  capital  picture  gallery  and  Japanese 
collection  in  the  Mauritz  Huis,  among  other  things  Paul  Pot- 
ter's cattle,  which  exceed  all  cattle  painted,  excepting,  perhaps, 
Rosa  Bonheur's  horses,  if  these  be  indeed  cattle.     I  also  went 


2  20  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

into  the  king's  palace,  rather  a  plain  building,  and  the  furniture 
not  half  so  good  as  in  many  a  New  York  parlor.     ...     In 
the  afternoon  to  Leyden  ;  clean,  quiet,  a  nice  place,  with  capital 
museums,   a  good  botanical  garden,  etc.,    connected   with    the 
university,  of  which  I  saw  as  much  as  the  vacation  would  allow. 
The  university  buildings  here  and  elsewhere  in  Holland  are  very 
plain,  nothing  like  the  institutions  and  edifices  of  Oxford  and 
Cambridge.     At   Haarlem    I   did   not   stop.      At  Amsterdam  I 
started  from  the  station,  with  my  bag,  alone,   to  find  my  way 
about,  and  see  something  of  the  city,  afoot.     For  more  than  a 
mile  a  chap   followed   me,   persisting  in    showing   the  way.     I 
walked  up  and  down  several  odd  streets,  Just  to  shake  him  off ; 
but  he  kept  on,  telling  me  I  had   vergehet.     I  shook  my  um- 
brella at  him,  and  pounced  at  him,  and  talked  hard  at  him,  but 
it  was  all  of  no  use  ;  he  kept  on  until  I  came  to  my  hotel,  when  I 
made  him   a  bow  and  went  in  to  be  alone.     At  Amsterdam, 
Sunday  morning,  service  in  the  great  cathedral  church,  which 
was  well  filled.     It  lasted  for  two  and  a  half  mortal  hours.     The 
singing,  with  the  accompaniment  of  the  grand  organ,  was  very 
effective,    everybody   pitching  in  most  heartily.    .     .     .    The 
town  of  Brocck,  about  nine  miles  from  Amsterdam,  is  celebrated 
as  being  the  cleanest  spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  every 
tourist  is  bound  to  go  there.     I  went,  of  course,  and  concluded 
that,  though  very  neat  and  clean,  it  is  a  great  humbug  ;  though, 
of  course,  one  sees  the  Dutch  particularity  and  nicety  carried  to 
excess.     But  one  good  old  man  whom  I  met,  complained  of  the 
degeneracy  of  the  times,  assuring  me  that  it  was  not  nearly  as 
nice  as  it  once  was.     It  was  all  very  well — the  streets  (the  nicest 
ones)  of  brick,  and  carefully  sanded,  and  the  sand  swept  into 
nice  curves ;  and  the  front  yards  very  carefully  tended,  shrubs 
cut,  pebbles  fantastically  arranged,  etc.     There  must  be  an  in- 
finite deal  of  time  spent  in  mere  scrubbing  and  rubbing  :  the 
chambermaid  at  the  inn  took  at  least  five  minutes  for  every  chair 
that  she  dusted  in  the  morning,  and  then  looked  over  it  all  care- 
fully, and  spied  into  every  angle  and  Joint  to  see  if  there  might 
not  have  been  an  accidental  particle  of  dust  left  somewhere. 
The  bams  are  kept,  comparatively,  with  equal  fidelity  and  con- 
scientiousness.    This  is  but  the  excess  of  what  one  finds,  more 
or  less,  everywhere  in  Holland.     The  people  are  capital — plain. 


Letters  fro7ii  Europe.  221 

intelligent,  downright  and  upright,  and  very  kind  to  strangers — 
excepting  those  troops  of  vagrant  boys,  who  pester  you  in  every 
street  to  clean  your  boots,  or  to  show  you  the  way.  .  .  . 
Yesterday  at  Utrecht,  also  a  university  town,  and  having  two  or 
three  remarkable  churches.  Last  night  back  to  Rotterdam,  and 
to-day  on  the  steamer  with  thirty  or  forty  passengers,  steering 
for  Old  England,  the  best  of  all  the  people,  after  all. 

London,  Friday  morning,  September  9. 

This  is  the  last  letter,  probably,  that  I  can  send  you,  before  I 
sail,  in  the  City  of  Baltimore,  next  Wednesday,  the  14th,  from 
Liverpool.  ...  I  long,  long,  long,  to  be  at  home.  May 
God  keep  us  safe  and  well  till  then  ! 


222  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

NEW  YORK.— 1859-1866. 

He  landed  in  New  York  on  the  twenty-seventli  of 
September,  and  two  days  later  lie  resumed  his  lectures 
in  the  Seminary.  His  Tables  of  Church  History  were 
now  printed,  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  his  great  labor  was  appreciated,  in  this  and  other 
countries.  Professor  Jacobi,  of  Halle,  wrote  to  him  of 
"this  laborious  and  learned  work  :  "  "Its  contents  are 
extraordinarily  rich.  We  must  especially  thank  you 
for  the  notices  of  the  North  American  Churches.  I 
have  found  condensed  in  them  a  vast  amount  of  infor- 
mation, which  I  have  sought  elsewhere  with  great  labor, 
and  sometimes  in  vain.  It  has  indeed  been  a  most 
laborious  task,  requiring  a  great  deal  of  reflection,  to 
present  a  general  view  of  the  rich  contents  of  history, 
sacred  and  profane,  and  you  have  done  it  very  success- 
fully." 

Here  are  a  few  extracts  from  the  many  notices  of  this 
work  which  appeared  at  the  time  : 

"  The  comprehensive  originality  of  its  plan,  its  ingenious  con- 
venience, its  perfect  fitness  to  its  use,  its  accuracy  and  precise 
erudition,  raise  it  to  the  rank  of  monumental  works." — Christian 
Examiner,  July,  1860. 

"  Without  compromising  his  fidelity  to  his  cardinal  convic- 
tions, he  writes  with  a  candid  and  almost  sympathetic  appreci- 
ation of  creeds  and  opinions  adverse  to  his  own,  and  hence  the 
authority  generally  accorded  to  his  publications  on  the  topics 
which  have  absorbed  the  attention  of  his  life.     The  present  work 


New   York.  223 

is  a  monument  of  labor,  on  whicli  he  may  well  be  content  to 
rest  his  claims  to. the  enduring  consideration,  etc." — New  York 
Evening  Post. 

"It  is  decidedly,  the  best  work  of  the  kind  in  any  language." 
— New  York  Observer. 

*'In  point  of  completeness,  the  book  cannot  be  praised  as 
much  as  it  deserves.  It  gives  far  more  facts  than  all  manuals, 
and  may  be  called  a  lexicon  of  church  history." — New  York 
World,  July  2G,  18G0. 

"It  is  thoroughly  organic  and  vital.  He  has  not  given  us  the 
mere  bones  of  history,  but  history  itself  in  miniature." — Congre- 
gational Quarterly,  January,  1860. 

He  was  soon  in  the  thick  of  work  once  more.  His 
Hemew  claimed  much  time  and  labor.  He  wrote  this 
winter  the  articles  on  Hegel  and  Kant,  for  Appletori's 
Cyclopcedia.  The  meetings  for  Bible  collation  (lasting 
from  two  to  four  hours  each),  a  Bible  class  for  ladies,  con- 
ducted by  him  at  their  request,  and  lectures  at  the 
Spingler  Institute,  had  their  regular  hours  in  each 
week.  He  was  also  engaged  in  writing,  by  request  of 
Mrs.  Phelps,  a  memoir  of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  Jr.,*  whose 
sudden  death  was  a  heavy  loss  to  the  Seminary,  of  which 
he  had  been  a  Director  and  a  munificent  benefactor. 
The  volume  of  Gieseler  was  always  at  hand  to  fill  a 
vacant  hour,  or,  rather,  to  usurp  the  hours  of  needed 
rest  and  sleep. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  [then  in  Europe]  : 

New  York,  December  15,  1859. 

My  deae  Geoege  :  Your  letter  has  just  come,  and  just  as 
we  were  making  out  a  letter  to  you — all  the  more  opportune. 
You  make  my  mouth  water  with  your  descriptions  of  the  German 
visit ;  how  I  should  have  loved  to  see  the  Tholucks,  and  Kahnises, 

*  A  memorial  of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  Jr.,  published  by  Mr.  Charles  Scribner, 
1860. 


224  Hc7try  Boynton  Smith, 

and  Ulricis  !  I  must  do  it  yet  before  I  am  worn  out,  if  the 
Lord  will.  I  am  Just  now  hard  at  work  on  dear  Phelps's  me- 
morial, which  I  mean  to  finish  next  week ;  there  will  be  more  of 
it  than  I  expected.  I  wish  I  had  asked  you  to  write  me  a  letter 
of  characteristics.  "Why  can't  you  do  it  at  once  ?  personal 
sketches  and  details ;  it  is  just  the  something  needed  to  make  it 
life-like.  All  the  letters  deal  in  general  benevolence,  which  is 
well  enough  in  its  way,  but  the  particular  virtues  are  more  inter- 
esting to  the  mass  of  readers.  Sherwood  is  talking  of  taking  the 
Review  next  year :  I  am  going  to  try  and  get  up  an  article 
on  Mansel.  Send  me  yours  on  Switzerland,  for  the  May  num- 
ber, won't  you  ?  My  Tables  have  been  very  favorably  received, 
beyond  my  expectations,  I  had  a  very  good  letter  from  Dean 
Trench  about  them.  Lieber  praises  them  quite  enough.  . 
That  old  John  Brown  was  the  most  conscientious  monomaniac 
the  world  has  seen  in  these  last  days. 

And  now  about  that  Paris  matter  [the  chaplaincy  of  the  Amer- 
ican Chapel].  Fairchild  wrote  me  about  it,  and  I  said  that  I 
did  not  know  that  you  could  be  induced  to  take  it,  but  that  it 
was  worth  trying  for.  If  you  can  break  up  without  too  much 
sacrifice,  I  think  you  might  all  enjoy  Paris  better  than  Gene- 
vriere.  The  service  you  might  make  quite  easy — there  are  excel- 
lent people  in  the  congregation.  But  I  suppose  you  have  already 
decided,  and  I  cannot  but  hope,  for  the  general  good,  that 
it  may  have  been  to  go  to  Paris.  Love  to  your  dear  wife  and  to 
all  the  children,  including  the  "young  professor,"  as  he  is  called 

here.     Tell  M to  shut  her  eyes  up  and  see  if  she  can't  see 

Uncle  Smith.     A  merry  Christmas  !    A  happy  New  Year  I 

In  the  spring  of  1860  lie  nndertook  the  revision  of 
Professor  Hagenbach's  History  of  Doctrines,  comparing 
Clark's  Edinburgh  edition,  translated  by  Buch,  with 
the  original  Gennan,  and  making  such  copious  addi- 
tions, particularly  in  the  history  of  Anglican,  Scotch, 
and  American  theological  literature,  as  to  "give  it,  to  a 
great  degree,  the  character  of  a  new  work."  The  first 
volume  was  published  in  1861,  the  second  in  1862. 


New   York.  225 

Of  volume  I.  Mr.  Bancroft  wrote  to  liim  : 

"Monday,  March  11,  1861. 

**My  dear  Smith:  In  these  times  one  is  reminded  of  the 
heathen  philosopher,  who,  being  asked  after  his  country,  pointed 
upwards.  I  used  to  regret  your  leaving  history  for  dogmatics  ; 
but  there  is  little  trust  to  be  put  in  anything  but  that  which  is 
eternal.  1  admire  your  volume ;  I  like  exceedingly  your  own 
additions.  Why  is  not  Augustin's  essentia,  the  being  immanenb 
in  being,  the  DinganSich,  of  our  friend  Kant  ?  What  interests 
me  most  in  this  publication  is  the  evidence  it  gives  of  the  high 
character  you  are  imparting  to  the  rising  generation  of  students. 
Such  teachings  will  upset  bigotry  and  scepticism.  Of  course 
you  are  doing  the  best. service  ;  yet  I  hope  you  will  write  a  work 
of  your  own,  with  all  the  precision  and  exactness  shown  in  this 
last  editing  of  yours,  and  in  a  popular  style  that  may  make 
you  known  to  the  masses." 

In  the  summer  of  1860,  lie  delivered  at  the  anniversary 
of  Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  an  address  on  "Pan- 
theism as  a  Form  of  Infidelity  ;  "  afterwhich  he  made  a 
Journey  into  the  wilds  of  Maine.  He  had  previously 
written,  "  I  want  to  get  out  of  this  unnatural  city  life, 
to  see  how  the  w^oods,  and  trees,  and  hills  look.  But  I  have 
to  work  on  and  on.  The  second  volume  of  Hagenbach  will 
make  me  a  deal  of  work.  He  does  not  know  anything 
about  the  English  (to  say  nothing  of  the  American)  the- 
ological literature." 

To  his  wife : 

Greenville,  foot  of  Moosehead  Lake,  July  27,  1860. 

I  came  here  from  Kineo  yesterday  afternoon  to  preach  to-day, 
to  a  small  church,  and  go  back  to-morrow.  This  is  a  very  beau- 
tiful place  ;  the  lake  surpasses  my  expectations  in  its  romantic 
scenery,  mountains  all  around,  and  innumerable  islands  in  the 
lake,  which  is  about  forty  miles  long.  Mt.  Kineo  is  near  the 
center,  a  very  abrupt  and  precipitous  hill,  seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred feet  high  ;  I  ascended  yesterday  morning,  one  of  the  finest 
15 


2  26  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

of  days,  and  had  a  clear  prospect ;  up  the  lake,  Katahdin  in 
full  sight,  chains  of  hills  and  immense  forests  all  around,  wind- 
ing streams,  and  large  sheets  of  water  glittering  in  the  clear  sun- 
light. 

I  have  preached  here  to-day  in  the  little  church  built  last  year 
— a  Union  church — where  different  ministers  come  once  a  month 
to  officiate  ;  to-day  there  was  no  appointment,  and  the  people 
seemed  glad  to  have  a  supply.  There  were  about  a  hundred  in 
the  audience,  some  of  them  coming  from  miles  around.  It 
really  seemed  good  to  talk  again  to  one  of  these  unsophisticated 
audiences. 

To  Ms  loife : 

New  Yokk,  August  31,  1860. 

The  last  day  of  summer  !  How  strange  it  seems  to  get  back 
to  this  old  familiar  study,  and  to  feel  again  that  so  much  of  my 
life  is  in  these  books,  and  with  this  paper  and  ink.  But  I  have 
enjoyed  the  leisure,  and  the  country,  and  the  drives,  and  the 
being  with  you  and  the  children  so  much  more  than  I  can  be  at 
home,  where  I  never  feel  at  leisure.  The  feeling  of  the  pressure 
of  work  is  coming  over  me  again,  at  the  sight  of  my  study,  and 
the  half -forgotten  plans  of  what  I  may  and  ought  to  do,  begin  to 
crowd  upon  me. 

New  York,  Sunday  evening,  September  3,  1860. 

Here  I  am  all  alone,  and  thinking  of  yon  and  the  dear  chil- 
dren. It  is  very  quiet  outside,  but  it  is  not  like  being  in  the 
country.  There  is  a  bright  moon,  but  I  can't  see  it  from  my 
window.  I  think  I  like  New  York  to  live  in  less  and  less  ;  work 
comes  back  hard,  and  there  is  no  play.  But  what's  the  use 
of  complaining  ?  Yesterday  I  began  again  my  translation  of 
Gieseler — drier  than  ever.  A  number  of  the  iVew  York  World 
has  a  capital  notice  of  my  Tables  of  Church  History. 

.  ,  .  Few,  very  few,  have  so  much  cause  for  thankfulness. 
But  my  life's  destiny  is  work ;  it  is  in  me,  and  it  is  my  lot. 
Would  that  I  could  be  and  do  what  I  have  hoped  and  prayed  to 
be  !  But  it  sometimes  seems  to  me  as  if  my  life's  work,  what  I 
ought  to  have  accomplished,  would  never  be  more  than  half 
done.  But  I  must  stop.  God's  blessing  be  with  you,  dearest. 
May  He  make  us  more  and  more  what  we  should  be  ! 


New   York.  227 

One  of  his  chief  interests  after  his  return  to  New  York 
in  September,  1860,  was  the  starting  of  a  new  Presby- 
terian Church,  by  some  of  the  former  parishioners  of 
Rev,  Dr.  Prentiss,  who  had  recently  returned  from  En- 
rope,  in  restored  health.  In  November,  a  choice  congre- 
gation held  their  first  service.  None  of  those  who  gath- 
ered around  their  pastor  was  more  earnest  in  this  mat- 
ter or  more  happj^  in  its  success  than  was  he,  and  his 
spiritual  life  took  from  it  fresh  impulse  and  enjoyment. 

At  the  close  of  this  year  he  wrote  for  his  Remew  the 
article  on  Sir  William  Hamilton's  Theory  of  Knowledge, 
and  that  on  the  Oxford  essays,  entitled  "The  Latitudi- 
narians  of  England."  *  He  also  prepared  a  lecture  on 
the  Catacombs,  which  he  deliv.ered  at  the  Chapel  of  the 
Brick  Church.  The  articles  in  AppletoiiJ  s  Cyclopcedia, 
on  Miracles,  Pantheism,  The  Reformed  Churches  and 
Sclielling  were  written  during  this  and  the  next  year. 

The  following  letter  to  Mr.  Joseph  Howland.,  shows 
what,  underlying  all  these  occasional  occupations,  was 
his  abiding  interest  and  work  : 

New  York,  November  16,  1860. 

My  deae  Frieistd  :  You  will  have  received  notice  of  your 
election  as  a  director  of  our  seminary  ;  and  I  trust  you  will  not 
hesitate  about  accepting.  You  will  find  yourself  most  cordially 
greeted  hj  the  members  of  the  board — and  among  them  you  will 
find  many  with  whom  it  is  a  privilege  to  work  in  good  things. 
.  .  .  I  need  not  tell  you  how  delighted  I  should  be,  person- 
ally, to  have  you  join  us.  That  seminary  is  the  one  thing, 
which,  next  to  the  Church  of  Christ,  I  love,  and  live  and  labor 
for.  My  work  in  life  is  there ;  and  for  it  and  its  prosperity  I 
have  given  up,  and  do  give  up,  all  other  earthly  plans.  If  I 
have  done  anything,  it  has  been  there ;  if  I  am  to  do  anything, 
it  will  be  there.  In  ten  years  it  has  grown  from  a  position  of 
weakness  and  insecurity  to  one  of  stability  and  promise.  Its 
future  looks  bright ;    come   and  make   it  look   still   brighter. 

*  They  were  reprinted  in  Faith  and  Philosophy, 


228  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Take  a  part  in  my  hobby — for  it  is  not  mine,  and  it  is  no  hobby, 
it  is  a  part  of  the  Lord's  work  for  onr  Church  and  land. 

Frederick  Sonthgate  Smith,  the  elder  of  the  two  broth- 
ers of  Prof.  Smith,  a  man  greatly  endeared  to  his  friends 
by  his  warm,  frank,  generous  nature,  had  long  been 
bravely  fighting  a  painful  malady,  which  was  now  making 
fatal  progress.  He  retired  from  his  position  in  the  Patent 
Ofiice  in  Washington  to  the  home  of  his  \\4f e'  s  family 
in  Northern  Pennsylvania.  Professor  Smith  made  him 
several  visits  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1861, 
and  was  his  spiritual  helper  as  well  as  his  brotherly 
comforter.  Each  of  these  visits  cost  him  much.  His 
excited  feelings  wore  upon  him,  physically,  more  than 
he  was  willing  to  admit,  and  a  feverish  prostration  told 
of  the  grief  for  which  he  had  few  words. 

But  however  weary  and  harassed  he  might  be,  his 
work  went  on  as  usual.  During  the  summer  he  was 
busied  witli  Hagenbach,  allowing  himself  but  little  rest. 
In  June  he  gave  the  address  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
Society  of  the  University  of  New  York,  and  also  wrote 
the  Annual  Report  of  the  New  York  Institution  for  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb.  In  July  he  went  to  Hanover,  N.  H., 
in  order  to  preach  the  sermon  at  the  ordination  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Leeds  ;  and  soon  returned  to  hard  work  on  Hagen- 
bach, writing,  in  the  excessive  heat,  his  new  matter  on 
English,  Scotch  and  American  theology,  of  which  he 
wrote  in  his  diary,  "August  15th. — Finlslied.  Along, 
hard  Job  done."  He  then  gave  a  week  to  the  seaside 
with  his  family,  and  went  back  to  Hagenbach,  and  to 
write  his  review  article  on  Professor  Park's  Life  of  Dr. 
Emmons. 

After 'Mr.  Leeds's  ordination  at  Hanover,  New  Hamp- 
shire, he  wrote  : 

July  9,  1861. — I  am  most  hospitably  entertained  by  Mrs.  B. 
and  Prof.  P.  The  installation  yesterday  passed  off  pleasantly,  a 
full  church,  festooned,  etc.,  and  some  people  seemed  to  like  my 
sermon,  in  spite  of  the  heat  and  dogmatics. 


New  York,  229 

July  14. — I  had  a  capital  time  [in  Hanover]  driving  out  every- 
day, going  to  companies,  etc.,  filling  up  every  minute  till  Satur- 
day noon.  'Tis  a  very  beautiful  place,  and  full  of  first-rate 
people,  and  I  am  really  sorry  you  didn't  go. 


To  Ms  wife  \at  Northampton]  : 

New  York,  August  1,  1861. 

I  am  getting  on  quite  famously,  in  these  quiet  and  hot  times, 
with  Hagenbach.  This  month,  I  hope,  will  see  the  end  of  the  book 
for  me.  I  wish  I  was  there  with  you  to  drive  round  and  enjoy 
this  grand  weather  ;  but  work  seems  to  be  my  part  of  life.  I  often 
think  I  will  haul  up  short,  and  not  do  so  much,  but  then  there 
comes  something  that  must  be  done  ;  and,  after  all,  I'm  a  great 
deal  more  contented  when  I  am  doing  something  than  when  I 
am  idling  about. 

Early  in  September  lie  made  a  visit  to  his  sick  bro- 
ther, watching  with  him  day  and  night.  He  returned 
at  the  end  of  a  week,  in  his  own  words,  "used  up,  sick 
and  feverish,"  and  for  ten  days  was  unable  to  leave  his 
house.     His  brother  died  on  the  seventeenth  of  October. 

New  York,  October  23,  1861. 

My  deae  Mother  :  I  returned  yesterday  from  my  sad  errand. 
Our  dear  Frederick  died  on  Thursday  evening,  breathing  his 
last  most  peacefully,  like  a  child  going  to  rest.  And  it  was  in- 
deed, to  him,  going  to  rest.  He  showed  the  most  beautiful 
patience  and  gentleness  during  the  last  few  days,  when  he  could 
speak  chiefly  by  signs  alone.  At  one  time,  during  a  hemorrhage, 
he  thought  he  was  dying,  and  bade  good-by,  with  a  "  God  bless 
you,"  and  a  bright,  cheerful  smile,  such  as  she  had  not  seen  for 
a  long  time.  He  was  buried  on  Sunday  afternoon,  the  service 
at  two  o'clock,  a  bright,  cool,  October  Sunday,  the  woods  bright 
with  the  falling  leaves.  He  lies  in  a  little  wooded,  sheltered 
nook  of  the  farm,  on  the  border  of  a  wood,  a  beautiful  spot. 
The  bearers  carried  him  there,  relieving  each  other  by  the  way. 
At  the  grave  they  sang  a  resurrection  hymn.  It  is  better,  dear 
mother,  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning  than  to  the  house  of 


230  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

feasting.     May  the  Lord  be  with  you  and  strengthen  you  to  bear 
this  trial  and  make  us  all  the  better  for  it. 

Late  on  Cliristmas  eve,  after  sharing  in  the  usual  fam- 
ily festivities,  he  corrected  the  final  proof-sheets  of 
Hagenbach,  thus  completing  his  laborious  work  of  two 
years. 

Our  country  was  now  passing  through,  some  of  the 
darkest  days  of  its  terrible  contest.  No  fair  presenta- 
tion of  Professor  Smith's  life  could  omit  mention  of  his 
fervid  patriotism  and  of  his  unwavering  faith  in  the 
final  triumph  of  the  republic.  From  that  fateful  Sunday 
in  April,  1861,  when  the  cannon  of  Fort  Sumter  aroused 
the  nation,  he  had  scanned  with  a  clear  eye  and  felt  with 
a  glowing  heart  the  great  issues  that  Avere  at  stake. 

After  the  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln  in  1861, 
he  wrote : 

Yes,  I  do  like  the  Inaugural.  Men  from  Washington  say 
things  feel  firmer  there,  that  everybody  believes  we  have  a 
government.  The  last  session  of  the  Senate,  March  3-4,  was  a 
really  solemn  and  earnest  time.     The  Eepublicans  sjDoke  out. 

In  November,  1861,  he  wrote  to  his  friend,  Mr.  Joseph 
Howland,  then  an  officer  in  the  army  : 

In  spite  of  all  delays  and  troubles  I  feel  an  unwavering  trust 
in  the  issues  of  this  great  conflict,  but  I  apprehend  that  few  yet 
realize  the  sacrifice  it  may,  must  cost. 

In  April,  1862,  he  wrote  to  Professor  Tholuck : 

Our  dear  country  is  now  passing  through  a  terrible  conflict, 
but  it  never  was  so  strong,  it  never  was  so  united,  as  it  is  now. 
We  look  forward  with  faith  and  hope  to  the  issue.  We  believe 
that  the  slave-power  has  received  its  death-blow.  And  we  never 
had  so  much  faith  in  the  republic  as  we  have  now. 

Again  in  January,  1863,  he  wrote  to  General  Howland: 
In  spite  of  all  that  is  sad  in  our  country's  state,  I  cannot  'bate 


New    York.  231 

a  jot  of  heart  or  hope.  I  believe  so  fully  in  the  truth  and  sa- 
credness  of  our  national  cause,  now  identified  with  that  of  free- 
dom, that  it  seems  to  me,  in  every  thoughtful,  prayerful  hour, 
that  it  must  prevail,  in  spite  of  human  folly  and  wickedness.  If 
we  believe  in  prayer,  now,  more  than  ever,  do  we  need  to  pray  : 
God  save  the  Republic  !  Whatever  the  cost  of  men,  of  time,  of 
sacrifices,  we  must  struggle  bravely  through.  The  prize  is  worth 
any  price. 

But  his  most  earnest  and  rousing  words  were  in  his 
Review  article  on  British  sympathy  with  America,  and 
in  his  sermon  on  the  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

The  following  letter  from  the  late  president  of  Dart- 
mouth College  was,  perhaps,  the  first  suggestion  of  the 
former. 

"Wednesday  eve,  February  36,  1862. 

*'Mt  dear  Professor  Smith  :  I  have  Just  been  reading  the 
late  British  Reviews  on  America  till,  according  to  the  version  of 
the  illiterate  clergyman,  '  I  am  fearfully  and  wonderfully  mad.^ 
See  the  London  Quarterly  and  the  Edinburgh  for  January.  I 
thought  your  opening  in  the  Clerical  Association,  though  admi- 
rable, was  jjossihly  a  shade  too  severe.  But  I  guess  you  were 
not  far  from  the  truth.  The  London  Quarterly  comes  out  flat- 
footed  for  secession.  The  sympathy  of  the  Edinhurgli  with  the 
South  is  clear.  The  dogged  asininity  of  both  in  arguing  the 
matter  is  marvelous. 

"  Now  I  have  a  suggestion  to  make — could  not  you  get  up  an 
article  for  your  next  number,  on  the  attitude  of  England  in 
reference  to  the  Southern  Rebellion  ?  An  article,  I  mean,  which 
should  deal  with  British  sophisms  on  the  Rebellion  witliout 
gloves — much  as  you  dealt  with  the  latitudinarian  essayists. 
Please  think  of  it.  It  would  take  more  time  than  most  pastors 
could  command,  to  do  just  what  the  case  requires. 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  Asa  D.  Smith. 

"  P.  S. — You  may  think  the  war  will  be  over  before  your  next 
number  is  out.  But  I  am  not  so  sanguine.  We  have  a  hard  tug 
before  us  yet.    And  even  when  the  Rebellion  has  got  its  death- 


232  Henry  Boy^iton  Smith, 

blow,  we  shall  have  a  struggle,  I  fear,  with  the  not  dead  hut  sleep- 
ing pro-slavery  spirit  at  the  North. " 

From  Mr.  Bancroft. 

"  Newport,  R.  L,  August  11,  1862. 

"  My  dear  Dr.  Smith  :  I  owe  you  my  hearty  thanks  for  your 
candid,  unsparing,  patriotic  dissection  of  British  selfishness,  and 
vindication  of  our  aspirations  for  freedom.  I  have  read  nothing 
in  our  contest  more  instructive  or  more  satisfactory. 

''For  myself,  as  things  advance,  lam  more  and  more  disposed 
to  scoff  at  half-way  measures,  and  strike  at  the  root  of  the  evil. 
At  least  in  Virginia,  slavery  should  be  abolished  entirely  and 
forever.  So  I  reason,  not  forming  the  opinion  lightly,  but  after 
weighing  the  past,  and  casting,  as  well  as  I  can,  the  horoscope 
of  the  future. 

"Ever  very  faithfully,  your  friend, 

"  George  Bancroft." 

From  Rev.  Dr.  Sprague : 

"Albany,  July  15,  1862. 

"  My  dear  Sir  :  I  have  read  your  article  on  "  British  Sym- 
pathy "  with  more  pleasure  than  it  is  possible  for  me  to  give  you 
any  idea  of.  It  seems  to  me  without  exception  the  ablest  article 
that  I  have  seen  touching  the  Rebellion.  If  the  North  British 
Review  were  not  a  knave  or  a  fool,  it  would  seek  to  hide  its  head 
in  some  cave  or  den  of  the  earth.  There  are  two  of  my  friends 
on  the  other  side,  who  I  earnestly  wish  might  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  reading  this  pamphlet.  ...  I  hope  some  of  your  friends 
will  take  care  that  the  pamphlet  pays  its  respects  to  Palmerston 
and  Lord  John  Russell.  Very  thankfully,  and— pardon  me  for 
saying  it — very  admiringly,  yours, 

*'W.  B.  Sprague." 

Dr.  Sprague  wrote  a  few^  days  later  : 

"  I  cannot  forbear  to  thank  you  for  sending  copies  of  your 
admirable  article  to  my  two  friends  abroad,  who  I  am  especially 
desirous  should  have  the  privilege  of  reading  it.  That  I  have 
not  overestimated  it,  I  feel  assured  from  the  testimony  of  some 
most  competent  judges  among  whom  my  copy  has  been  put  in 


New   York.  233 

circulation.  I  wish  the  -whole  British  aristocracy  were  obliged 
to  fust  over  it  till  it  had  had  its  legitimate  effect  in  curing  them 
of  their  hateful  antipathy  to  their  own  kindred,  and  giving  a 
better  tone  to  their  moral  system." 

It  is  said  that  this  article  reached  and  influenced  many 
leading  minds  on  the  other  side  of  the  water. 

The  death,  in  January,  18G3,  of  his  honored  colleague, 
Rev.  Professor  Edward  Robinson,  D.D.,  was  to  Profes- 
sor Smith  a  personal  grief  and  loss.  Dr.  Robinson  had 
been  to  him,  from  his  youth,  a  kind  and  wise  friend,  and 
possessed  his  grateful  affection.  Professor  Smith  took 
part  in  the  funeral  service  at  the  Mercer  Street  Church, 
and  later  read  a  memorial  paper  before  the  New  York 
Historical  Society,  w^hich,  together  with  a  biographical 
address  given  at  the  same  time  by  Rev.  Professor  R.  D. 
Hitchcock,  was  published  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Society. 

During  this  spring  he  began,  with  the  assistance  of 
Rev.  James  Strong,  S.  T.D.,  the  revision  of  the  transla- 
tion issued  by  Clark's  Foreign  Theological  Library,  of 
Dr.  Randolph  Stier's  "Words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,"* 
He  also  gave  his  course  of  lectures  on  ^Esthetics  at  the 
Spingler  and  the  Ferris  Institutes. 

He  was  this  year  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly, 
which  met  in  Philadelphia.  This  was  a  meeting  of 
memorable  interest  and  importance,  from  the  existing 
relations  of  the  Assembly  to  both  Church  and  State. 
The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  his  own  account 
of  its  proceedings. 

*'One  of  the  most  interesting  debates  in  the  Assembly  was 
called  forth  by  the  resolutions  upon  the  state  of  the  country, 
offered  by  Mr.  Barnes  as  chairman  of  a  special  committee  on  the 
subject.  .  .  The  assembly  was  unanimous  in  its  loyalty,  in  its  un- 

*  Published  by  Tibbals,  N.  Y.,  1864. 


234  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

conditional  support  of  the  government,  and  in  the  view  that,  as 
shivery  is  the  cause  of  the  war,  so  the  war  to  be  successful  must 
be  the  death  blow  to  slavery. 

"  The  resolutions,  after  an  emphatic  one  on  slavery  and  on 
President  Lincoln's  Proclamation  of  Emancipation,  expressed  the 
duty  of  sustaining  the  government,  rebuked  secession  and  all 
complicity  therewith  exhibited  ;  exhorted  the  church  to  do  its 
whole  duty,  and  expressed  sympathy  for  the  bereaved.  The  doc- 
ument was  subsequently  handed  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  by  a  large  committee  of  the  assembly,  who  were  courte- 
ously welcomed. 

*'  But  the  highest  interest  was  awakened  by  the  initiation  of  a 
correspondence  with  the  [0.  S.]  General  Assembly  in  session  at 
Peoria.  That  assembly  met  last  year  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and 
there  made  proposals  for  fraternal  communion,  which,  however, 
did  not  reach  the  Moderator  of  our  assembly  until  after  its  ad- 
journment. The  papers  were  communicated  to  the  assembly  at 
Philadelphia  on  the  first  day  of  its  session. 

*'  As  soon  as  the  documents  were  brought  before  the  assembly, 
a  special  committee  was  appointed  to  report  upon  them.  Tlie 
assembly  unanimously  adopted  the  resolutions  presented  by  this 
committee,  with  heartfelt  pleasure  and  Christian  salutations, 
accepting  the  proposition  of  a  stated,  annual,  and  friendly  in- 
terchange of  commissioners  between  the  two  general  assemblies. 

"  The  Peoria  Assembly  at  once  responded  by  appointing  Rev. 
Dr.  Tustin  (who  drew  up  the  minutes  last  year),  and  Hon.  G. 
Sharswood  as  principals,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Hall,  and  J.  AV.  Harper, 
Esq.,  as  alternates.  The  time  for  receiving  them  was  appointed 
for  Tuesday  afternoon,  May  26th,  when  a  large  and  deeply- 
moved  congregation  gathered  together  in  the  old  and  honored 
church  where,  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  the  rupture  of  these 
two  denominations  was  effected.*  Many  who  bore  part  in  that 
momentous  struggle  were  witnesses  of  this  more  hallowed  revival 
of  a  spirit  of  fraternal  confidence  and  affection.  Dr.  Tustin  de- 
livered a  most  cordial  and  eloquent  address,  touching  the  deepest 
sympathies  of  his  eager  and  hushed  audience,  as,  with  tremulous 

*  The  Moderator  may  have  recalled  his  own  presence  as  a  young  man  of 
twenty-one,  at  that  scene. 


New   York.  235 

voice,  lie  spoke  words  of  love  and  peace.  The  past  was  forgotten, 
and  hearts  were  melted  in  unison.  Nor  could  the  applause  be 
restrained  when  he  announced  in  frank  tones  that,  '  so  far  as 
we  are  concerned,  strife  is  at  an  end.  I  come  to  you  bearing 
aloft  the  trophies  of  fraternal  love  and  affection — for  love  has 
its  triumphs  as  well  as  hate,  peace  as  well  as  war.  I  come  to  in- 
vite you  back  to  confidence  and  esteem.' 

"  The  Moderator  of  the  assembly,  in  a  cordial  response,  recip- 
rocated the  heartfelt  expressions  of  Christian  affection ;  re- 
viewed some  of  the  events  that  marked  the  separation ;  and 
spoke  of  the  long-slumbering  desire  for  such  brotherly  inter- 
change of  Christian  feelings.  Those  that  have  the  same  faith, 
the  same  polity,  the  same  aims,  and  the  same  divine  Head,  are 
separated  only  for  a  time.  Both  of  these  great  branches  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  have  the  same  ancestry  and  the  same  his- 
tory ;  they  rehearse  their  faith  in  the  words  of  the  AVestminster 
Confessions  and  Catechism.  Both  adopt  the  Pauline,  the  Aug- 
ustinian,  and  the  Eeformed  creed,  in  contrast  with  Pelagianism, 
Socinianism,  and  Arminianism.  Both  are  devoted  to  our  na- 
tional cause  with  unswerving  loyalty  ;  both  share  in  sympathies 
and  prayers  for  that  unhappy  race  whose  oppression  lies  so  deep 
among  our  nation's  sins,  and  whose  deliverance  and  elevation  are 
necessary  to  secure  the  peace  and  unity  of  our  Eepublic.  United 
now  in  expressions  of  mutual  confidence  and  love,  we  seek  not  to 
cast  the  horoscope  of  the  future.  Each  branch  of  the  church 
has  its  providential  work ;  for  a  more  complete  reunion  we 
await  the  guidance  of  Divine  Providence. 

''This  impressive  scene  was  concluded  by  the  singing  of  the 
hymn,  'Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds,'  etc.,  and  prayer  by  Eev. 
Dr.  Cox."* 

The  Slimmer  of  1863  is  memorable  for  tlie  "three  days' 
riot"  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  opposition  to  tlie  mil- 
itary draft  called  for  by  the  government  in  its  exigency. 
During  this  reign  of  terror,  Professor  Smith,  with  his 
family,  escaped  from  the  city  by  almost  the  only  avail- 
able way — a  steamer  direct  for  Portland,  where  he  arrived 

*  Am.  Pres.  and  Theol.  Review,  July,  1863. 


236  Henry  Boy7iton  Smith. 

on  Saturday  morning,  greatly  to  the  relief  of  liis  friends 
in  that  city,  as  a  report  that  the  boat  had  been  captured 
by  pirates  had  preceded  its  arrival. 

After  preaching  the  next  day  in  Portland,  he  went  out 
on  Monday,  ten  miles,  to  Front's  Neck,  in  Scarborough, 
a  favorite  resort  of  his  boyhood,  where  he  afterward 
spent  many  summer  months.  This  coast  of  Maine  had 
a  great  charm  for  him,  and  its  air  was  always  invigor- 
ating. During  these  weeks  he  took  his  family,  one  day, 
to  the  old  home  of  his  gi-andfather  where  his  uncle,  Hon. 
Horatio  Southgate,  still  lived.  With  the  eager  delight 
of  a  boy  he  went  round  with  them,  up  stairs  and  down, 
indoors  and  out,  among  the  shrubbery  in  front,  and  into 
the  large  barn  behind  the  house,  to  the  garden  and 
orchard,  to  the  fir-grove  and  the  clear-flowing  brook, 
and  above  it  to  the  picturesque  ledge  of  rocks  cut  with 
the  initials  of  many  a  household  name.  After  the  death 
of  his  uncle,  the  following  year,  all  these  passed  into  the 
hands  of  strangers. 

After  enjoying  a  reunion  with  many  old  friends  at 
Bowdoin  College  Commencement,  he  attended  the  Sab- 
bath Convention  at  Saratoga,  before  which,  by  ap- 
pointment, he  read  a  paper  on  "The  Philosophy  of  the 
Sabbath." 

After  his  return  to  New  York  he  began  to  write  criti- 
cisms and  reviews  of  books  for  the  Round  Tahle^  by  re- 
quest of  its  editor,  Mr.  Sweetser.  This  he  continued  to 
do  for  several  years.  He  was  at  this  time  reading  Re- 
nan's  "  Life  of  Jesus,"  and  he  wrote  on  it,  both  for  the 
Round  Table  and  the  New  Yorlc  Independent^  before 
writing  his  more  elaborate  critique  for  his  Remew^  which 
appeared  the  next  year. 

In  January,  1864,  he  went  to  Northampton  to  celebrate 
the  eightieth  birth-day  of  his  father-in-law.  Rev.  Dr. 
Allen,  whose  children  were  all  together  on  that  occa- 
sion. On  his  return,  alone,  to  New  York,  he  wrote  to  his 
wife : 


Nczv   York.  237 

Give  my  best  love  to  your  father,  and  tell  him  how  much  I 
enjoyed  being  with  him  upon  this  memorable  anniversary.  It  will 
be  long  remembered  by  all  his  children.  How  patriarchal  and 
venerable  he  looked  there  in  the  midst  of  us  !  What  touching 
words  those  were  at  our  prayers  this  morning — words  to  be 
treasured  up,  and  held  in  long  and  grateful  remembrance. 

During  the  same  month  he  wrote  to  the  mother  of  his 
friend  Dr.  Prentiss : 

Dear  Madam  :  Allow  me  to  send  a  word  of  heartfelt  congrat- 
ulation that  you  have  been  spared  to  celebrate  your  eighty- 
second  birthday  in  the  midst  of  such  manifold  proofs  of  the  lov- 
ing kindness  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  You  are  associated  with 
many  of  my  youthful  remembrances.  I  still  see  you  and  your 
family  in  that  Gorham  cottage,  which  used  to  seem  to  me  so 
pleasant.  You  are  the  mother  of  one  of  the  very  best  friends  of 
my  life.  I  shall  always  think  of  you  with  gratitude  and  affec- 
tion. My  mother  will  be  sixty-nine  years  old  in  a  few  days,  and 
I  am  sure  that  she  would  send  you  a  warm  greeting  if  she  knew 
of  this  occasion. 

My  wife  sends  her  love,  and  a  bunch  of  autumn  flowers,  now 
that  the  summer  has  gone,  and  of  bitter-sweet,  the  emblem  of 
so  much  of  our  varied  life.  You  have  known  many  of  the  sor- 
rows of  life,  but  also  its  highest  joys.  May  your  remaining  days 
be  peaceful,  and  gilded  by  the  light  of  a  better  life.  With  the 
most  sincere  honor  and  affection, 

Yours  truly, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

He  began  with  the  year  to  give  courses  of  lectures  on 
History,  Mythology,  and  Esthetics,  at  different  institu- 
tions in  the  city.  He  still  worked  on  the  revision  of 
Stier,  and  wrote  many  notices  of  books  which  were 
often  discussions  of  their  subjects,  for  his  Heview,  the 
Bound  Table,  the  Evangelist,  and  the  Independent. 

In  May  he  preached,  as  retiring  Moderator,  the  open- 
ing sermon  before  the  General  Assembly,  at  Dayton, 


238  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Ohio.  "Christian  Union  and  Ecclesiastical  Reunion" 
was  its  theme,  which  had  long  been  growing  in  his 
heart. 

"Of  this  sermon,"  wrote  Eev.  Dr.  Prentiss,  ''this,  at  least, 
may  be  said  :  It  struck  the  key-note  of  the  great  reunion  move- 
ment in  the  Presbyterian  churches,  and  pointed  out  the  sure  and 
only  way  to  its  happy  consummation.  No  essential  feature  of 
the  event  but  was  distinctly  outlined  in  this  truly  irenical,  large- 
hearted,  sagacious,  and  Ohristian-like  discourse.*'* 

"Professor  Henry  B.  Smith,  the  retiring  Moderator,  who  had 
at  Philadelphia  welcomed  and  warmly  responded  to  the  Chris- 
tian salutations  of  the  first  delegation  from  the  Old  School, 
broke  ground,  in  his  opening  sermon,  distinctly  and  earnestly, 
in  favor  of  the  speedy  obliteration  of  the  distinctions  which  sepa- 
rated us.  .  .  .  Nowhere  have  we  seen  a  fuller  and  happier 
statement  of  the  reasons  for  the  measure,  the  difficulties  that 
might  be  expected  to  obstruct  it,  the  basis  on  which  the  reunion 
must  be  established,  and  the  spirit  and  method  in  which  it  must 
be  pressed."! 

The  following  is  one  of  many  letters  which  he  received 
in  reference  to  this  sermon  : 

"Toledo,  Ohio,  July  16,  1864. 

"Eevekend  dear  Sir:  I  was  a  Commissioner  to  the  late 
General  Assembly  at  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  was  quartered  with 
your  friend  and  admirer,  Ira  M.  Harrison,  Esq.  During  the 
sessions  of  our  Assembly,  I  obtained  a  copy  of  your  sermon 
preached  at  the  opening  of  the  General  Assembly  at  Dayton.  I 
read  it  aloud  to  the  family  and  we  quarreled  over  it.  The  Har- 
risons contended  that  it  was  New  School  and  I  contended  that  it 
was  Old  School  doctrine.  So  pleased  was  I  with  the  sermon 
that  I  had  penned  a  resolution  to  be  offered  in  our  Assembly, 
requesting  our  Board  of  Publication  to  publish  it.     It  was  feared 

*  Introduction  to  the  vohime,  "  Faith  and  Philosophy,"  p.  v. 
\  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Reunion,  by  Rev.  J.  F.   Stearns,  D.D.    Am, 
Prea.  and  Theol.  Review,  JuJy,  1867,  p.  576. 


New    York.  239 

that  such  a  proposition  miglit  not  carry  because  it  was  unprece- 
dented, but  I  hope  that  tlie  sermon  may  in  some  form  reach 
every  minister  in  both  branches  of  our  church.  It  will  do  much 
to  bring  about  the  day  of  our  reunion.. 

"May  God  bless  you  and  the  whole  New  School  church. 
"Yours  faithfully, 

"E.  13.  Eaffenspeegen." 

But  liis  opening  sermon  was  by  no  means  the  only- 
service  rendered  by  him  at  this  time  to  the  cause  of  re- 
union. As  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Church 
Polity,  he  prepared  a  report,  or  declaration,  on  the 
subject,  which  was  unanimously  adopted,  and  sent  to 
the  Old  School  Assembly,  then  in  session  at  Newark, 
N.  J.  Fraternal  correspondence,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
already  been  initiated  between  the  two  bodies  ;  but  this 
memorable  "Declaration,"'  embodying  the  vital  points 
of  Professor  Smith's  sermon,  was  the  first  definite,  offi- 
ciial  action  taken  by  either  Assembly,  in  favor  of  actual 
reunion.  It  must  be  regarded,  therefore,  as  an  histori- 
cal document  of  the  highest  value.     It  is  as  follows : 

"  The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States,  in  session  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  ]\Iay  25,  18(34. 

"  The  Committee  on  the  Polity  of  the  Church,  to  which  was 
referred  the  overture  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Presbytery,  upon  the 
reunion  of  the  two  General  Assemblies  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America,  propose  the  following 
declaration,  viz: 

"  1st.  That  this  Assembly  cordially  welcomes  all  signs  of  in- 
creased love  and  union  among  those  who  hold  to  the  same  facts 
and  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  bears  its  solemn  testimony, 
with  self-humiliation,  against  whatever  fosters  alienation  and 
genders  strife  among  the  disciples  of  our  Lord. 

"  2d.  That  the  tendencies  of  modern  society,  the  condition  of 
Protestant  Christianity,  the  increase  of  infidelity,  the  progress 
of  Eomanism,  and  the  present  and  prospective  state  of  our  coun- 
try, afford  powerful  arguments  against  further  sub  divisions,  and 


240  Henry  Boyiiton  Smith. 

in  favor  of  that  union  and  nnity  of  the  church  into  which  it  is 
to  grow,  and  which  is  to  be  its  consummation ;  and  that  we 
record  with  unfeigned  gratitude  our  profound  couviction  that 
the  spirit  of  disunion  and  sectarianism  is  waning,  and  that  the 
spirit  of  brotherly  kindness  and  mutual  confidence  is  largely  on 
the  increase. 

"3d.  That  in  an  especial  manner  are  those  churches  bound  to 
foster  this  spirit,  which  adopt  the  same  standards  of  faith  and 
order,  and  whose  divisions  are  local,  personal  and  incidental,  and 
for  whose  reunion  there  is  only  needed  a  Avise  deference  to 
each  other's  rights,  and  a  higher  measure  of  Christian  charity. 
Adopting  the  same  formulas  of  faith  and  form  of  government, 
all  that  is  needed  is  to  receive  them  in  the  same  spirit. 

"  4th.  That  as  the  churches  represented  by  this  Assembly  did 
not  inaugurate  the  separation,  so,  too,  they  hold  to  no  principles 
and  views,  and  would  impose  no  terms  inconsistent  with  a  full 
and  cordial  reunion,  whenever  and  wherever  the  will  of  the 
Great  Head  of  the  church,  as  indicated  by  divine  providence, 
may  open  the  way  for  us  all  to  meet  together  again  on  the  same 
basis  on  which,  of  old,  our  fathers  stood  ;  and  that  we  should 
rejoice  in  such  reunion  as  a  pledge  of  the  future  prosperity,  and 
an  augury  of  the  accelerated  growth  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  our  land;  and  that  it  is  our 
united  and  fervent  prayer  to  our  common  Master,  that  he  would 
so  remove  all  hindrances  as  to  make  a  plain  path  for  our  feet, 
whereon  we  may  walk  together,  being  of  one  heart  and  mind, 
in  the  ways  of  the  Lord. 

"5th.  That  while  we  do  not  deem  it  expedient  now  to  ap- 
point such  a  committee  as  that  asked  for  in  the  memorial  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  Presbytery,  yet,  that  this  expression  of  our  princi- 
ples and  convictions,  with  our  heartfelt  Christian  salutations,  be 
transmitted  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
now  in  session  in  Newark,  New  Jersey." 

The  report  and  recommendation  were  unanimously- 
adopted. 

"This  "  in  the  words  of  Dr.  Prentiss,  "was  the  first  definite 
action  taken  by  either  Assembly  that  looked  directly  to  an  or- 


New   Yoi'-k.  241 

ganic  union  of  the  two  severed  bi-anchcs  of  tlie  Pr.^sbytcvian 
Church.  All  previous  action  had  been  tentative  and  prepara- 
tory. In  18G2  both  Assemblies  had  been  overtured  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  both  had  decided  that  it  was  inexpedient  to  move  fur- 
ther in  the  matter  then.  The  Old  School  Assembly,  however, 
proposed  fraternal  correspondence  and  an  annual  interchange  of 
delegates,  as  has  been  already  stated.  In  1863,  overtures  in 
favor  of  reunion  were  again  sent  up  to  the  Asseml)ly  of  the  Old 
School,  and  it  was  again  deemed  inexpedient  '  to  take,  at  this 
time,  any  decided  action  with  reference  to  the  reunion  of  the 
New  Scbool  and  Old  School  Presbyterian  Churches.'  But  in 
both  branches  the  reunion  sentiment  had  been  steadily  growing 
in  extent  and  power,  and  when  their  Assemblies  met  in  1864, 
everything  was  ready  for  a  determined  step  forward.  Professor 
Smith  gave  voice  and  shape  to  the  common  feeling  in  this 
'Declaration,'  as  he  had  already  done  in  his  opening  sermon." 

To  Ids  ivife : 

Columbus,  Ohio,  May  18,  1864. 

I  arrived  here  this  afternoon,  via  freight  train,  having  twice 
missed  trains,  and  being  separated  from  my  company.  My  bag 
and  sermon  are,  I  suppose,  at  Dayton,  where  I  go  early  to-mor- 
row morning.  Some  of  us  have  been  to  see  the  state  house,  etc. , 
this  evening.  It  is  a  fine  building,  high  cupola  reverberating 
incessantly.  Arrived  at  Pittsburg  at  noon,  crowds  on  crowds  at 
depot  ;  soldiers  all  along  the  route,  hastening  to  the  war.  Fell 
in  with  a  German  Jew,  Just  over,  couldn't  speak  a  word  of 
English,  helped  him  along.  In  the  afternoon  a  German  deserter, 
just  caught,  crying  all  the  time  ;  didn't  know  what  the  provost 
would  do  with  him  ;  found  out,  and  comforted  him  by  telling 
him  that  he  would  probably  be  sent  right  into  battle,  and  not 
be  hung.  .     .     .  All  going  well,  if  I  find  my  sermon  at  Dayton. 

Dayton,  Thursday  afternoon. — Got  here  this  morning  all 
right.  At  Mr.  D.'s,  a  capital  place,  excellent  people,  a  large, 
airy  room,  kind  and  hospitable  family  ;  would  that  you  were 
here  !  A  pretty  full  assembly.  My  sermon  went  off  well  enough, 
I  believe.  Dr.  Brainard  elected  Moderator  this  afternoon,  so  I 
am  released  from  the  responsibility.  This  is  a  beautiful  place — 
16 


242  Hcn7'y  Boynton  Smith. 

roomy,  wide  streets,  good  houses,  an  air  of  comfort  and  well-to- 
do  all  round.  I  drove  Dr.  Brainard  (in  Mr.  D.'s  carriage) 
this  afternoon  round  town,  over  the  Miami  Eiver.  .  .  .  The 
Assembly  is  a  very  good  one,  I  should  think.  This  evening  a 
prayer-meeting  on  the  state  of  the  country.  A  large  number  of 
my  old  pupils  here.  Bright,  cool,  beautiful,  I  feel  very  well 
indeed. 

Maij  21,  SaturdaTj  morning. — I  am  on  the  Committee  on 
Polity,  and  have  something  to  do,  but  not  too  much.  Mr.  D. 
gives  us  a  drive  every  day — last  evening  to  the  cemetery,  a  beau- 
tiful spot.  Dayton  is  in  a  basin,  low  hills  all  around  ;  a  beau- 
tiful, quiet  city  of  25,000  or  30,000  people,  very  hospitable  and 
no  nonsense  about  it. 

May  23. — A  bright  morning,  thermometer  somewhat  (not 
much)  under  90°  ;  'tis  Monday  morning. 

Saturday  afternoon  a  long  drive  with  a  party  of  some  twenty 
to  a  very  beautiful  bluff,  three  or  four  miles  off,  with  two  miles 
walking  and  climbing  in  addition  ;  a  beautiful  prospect. 

The  mound,  supposed  to  be  an  old  Indian  fortification,  two 
miles  round,  five  or  six  hundred  years  old,  at  least;  "scien- 
tific," says  General  McCook  of  the  army,  who  was  with  us,  and 
expounded  and  explained  the  whole  matter,  through  all  the 
military  categories. 

Yesterday  (Sunday)  hotter  than  need  be.  I  heard  Dr,  Brai- 
nard in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening  preached  for  Dr, 
Thomas,  the  Old  School  minister,  a  first-rate  Union  man,  both 
in  Church  and  State.  I  am  as  busy  as  can  be.  ...  The  flowers 
are  from  the  Indian  fortification. 

Thursday,  May  26. — Things  are  moving  on  well  in  the 
Assembly.  Grand  news  this  morning  from  Grant.  Our  meet- 
ing yesterday  afternoon  for  the  country  was  very  interesting. 
Dr.  Thomas  made  a  noble  speech.  I  have  drawn  iip  a  minute 
on  reunion,  adopted  yesterday  by  our  Assembly,  and  to  be  sent 
to  the  0.  S.  Assembly,  making  no  formal  proposition,  but  ex- 
pressing our  willingness,  etc.,  should  Providence  favor.  To- 
day I  present  a  minute  on  Calvin,  and  make  a  speech  on  him 
on  Friday  evening. 


New   York.  243 

Saturday  morning,  May  28. — Last  evening  we  had  the  Calvin 
Tercentenary,  a  long  meeting.  I  was  to  have  made  the  long 
speech,  but  the  others  crowded  me  into  the  twenty  minutes  be- 
fore ten  o'clock,  so  that  I  had  not  much  time  ;  but  I  believe  I 
kept  them  awake.* 

There  is  really  very  little  to  report  to  you,  except  that  we  are 
having  a  good  time  generally,  and  shall  probably  be  through  to- 
day; leave  Monday,  be  home  on  Wednesday. 

After  his  return  to  New  York  lie  wrote  an  introduc- 
tion to  a  book  by  Mrs.  Charles,  "The  Early  Dawn,"  re- 
published by  Mr.  Dodd.  This  was  the  occasion  of  the 
following  letter  from  Professor  Lieber  : 

"New  York,  August  9,  1864. 
"My  dear  Feiend  :  I  see  that  you  have  written  a  preface  to 
a  work  (I  forget  the  title  of  it)  by  the  author  of  the  'Cotta 
Family.'  Pray  tell  me  who  she  is,  and  where  she  lives,  for  I 
understand  the  author  is  a  woman.  As  to  the  'Cotta  Family,' 
the  first  two-thirds  of  which  I  consider  most  excellent,  true  and 
edifying,  the  curious  fact  occurred  that  Horace  Binney — you 
know  the  lionorahle,  glorious  old  man  of  eighty-four  in  Phila- 
delphia— wrote  to  me  to  read  by  all  means  a  work  called  the 
*  Cotta  Family,'  on  the  same  day  that  I  wrote  the  same  thing 
to  him,  so  that  our  letters  about  the  same  book  must  have 
crossed  one  another  at  Trenton,  or  wherever  else  the  mail-bags 
exchanged.  Binney,  too,  wants  to  know  who  the  author  is.  If 
there  be  a  secret  about  it,  I  promise  not  to  tell  any  one,  although 
I  do  not  see  why  the  public  should  be  deprived  of  the  pleasure 

*  In  his  sermon  at  Dayton  he  also  spoke  of  Calvin,  and  in  words  which 
might  have  been  used  in  describing  himself:  "Indefatigable  in  trial, 
though  borne  down  by  many  infirmities,  knowing  more  of  life's  duties  than 
its  recreations — devoted  to  the  Church  of  God,  for  which  he  lived.  A  man 
of  spare  but  wiry  frame,  of  keen  yet  calm  visage,  of  an  inflexible  will, 
poised  on  truth,  and  ever  pointing  to  duty  like  the  magnet  to  the  pole,  with 
an  eagle  eye  that  saw  afar  and  yet  minutely.  .  .  .  He  never  spoke  or 
wrote  much  about  himself,  for  he  was  one  of  the  few  men  so  absorbed  in  his 
work,  that  he  esteemed  self  but  a  very  little  tiling."  There  the  resemblance 
ends,  for  Calvin's  enemies  called  him  "  a  man  of  ice  and  ii'on." 


244  Heniy  Boy7iton  Smith. 

— I  would  almost  call  it  the  comfort  of  settling  its  thanks  on 
a  distinct  individuality.  Do  you  not  agree  with  me  that  we 
love  to  individualize  a  work  of  literature,  of  art,  a  great  deed — 
and  to  bring  it  home  to  a  distinct  individual  ?  I  go  even  far- 
ther. I  like  to  see  the  features  of  such  a  being.  What  would 
we  not  give  to  see  a  true  portrait  of  Columbus,  or  Aristotle,  or 
St.  John  ? 

"  You  must  have  been  amazed,  as  I  was,  at  the  full  and  deep 
understanding  of  the  psychology  of  the  Reformation,  when  you 
entered  deeper  and  deeper  in  the  '  Cotta  Family.'  I  first  heard 
of  the  book,  when  my  wife,  who  presided  over  the  book-shop  at 
the  Metropolitan  Fair,  told  me  that  there  was  a  greater  call  for 
the  '  Cotta  Family '  than  for  any  other  book.  I  hear  she  is  an 
English  woman.  Is  it  so  ?  And  is  this  another  instance  of  an 
English  book  being  far  more  valued  in  America  than  in  Eng- 
land ?  There  are  several  works  of  the  kind  on  record,  and  you 
could  write  a  very  suggestive  paper  on  this  subject.  Gratify 
my  curiosity  and  believe  me  always, 

"  Your  very  sincere  friend, 

"Francis  Lieber." 

Soon  after  his  return  from  Dayton  he  had  a  most 
grateful  surprise.  The  insertion  of  the  following  let- 
ters, which  tell  the  story,  needs  no  apology.  So  re- 
markable an  instance  of  disinterested  friendship,  in 
both  its  honored  originator  and  those  who  helped  to 
carry  out  his  generous  design,  could  not  be  omitted 
in  the  history  of  the  life  which  it  exceedingly  cheered 
and  enriched. 

Mr.  Bancroft  to  Rev.  Wm.  Adams,  D.D.  : 

"New  York,  March  2,  1864. 
"  My  dear  Dr.  Adams  :  A  man  of  letters  can  perhaps  judge 
best  of  the  merits  and  the  wants  of  a  brother  man  of  letters.  I 
know  you  agree  with  me  in  thinking  Dr.  Henry  B.  Smith  one  of 
the  ablest  men  in  T^^ew  York ;  in  truth  it  would  be  hard  to  find, 
in  this  country  or  in  England,  a  man  who  in  his  line  of  study 
excels  him  in  comprehensiveness  and  exactness  of  knowledge,  or 


New   York.  245 

in  historical  criticism  and  the  philosophy  of  history.  His  works 
establish  his  reputation  and  prove  his  prodigious  and,  I  must 
say,  excessive  industry,  Now  the  path  in  life  and  the  character 
of  the  pursuits  which  he  has  chosen  cut  him  oil  from  the  oppor- 
tunity of  gain.  His  writings  are  devoted  to  the  public  good 
without  much  prospect  of  an  adequate  remuneration  ;  and  he  is 
connected  with  no  wealthy  congregation  to  care  for  him  in 
health  and  sickness.  For  these  reasons  I  have  long  had  in  my 
mind  to  propose  that  a  sum  be  raised  to  pay  off  and  cancel  the 
mortgage  which,  I  happen  to  know,  exists  on  his  house.  I  am 
animated  with  the  desire  to  bring  this  about  simply  by  the 
esteem  and  sympathy  to  which  his  rare  merits  and  superior 
scholarship  entitle  him.  If  you  will  undertake  a  subscription 
for  the  purpose,  I  will  send  you  five  hundred  dollars  as  my 
share,  so  soon  as  you  will  let  me  know  the  subscription  is  full, 
*'  I  am  ever,  my  dear  Dr.  Adams,  very  sincerely  yours, 

"  Geoege  Banckoft." 

New  York,  .June  12,  1864. 

My  dear  Mr.  Bancroft  :  Dr,  Adams  has  told  me  of  the 
good  fortune  which  is  awaiting  me ;  and  he  has  shown  me  that 
letter  of  yours  which  led  to  all  this,  and  which  will  make  me 
proud  and  grateful  toward  you  all  my  life. 

Nothing  more  unexpected  could  have  come  to  me ;  it  is  like 
lifting  a  dead  weight,  and  gives  me  a  deep  sense  of  relief.  It 
has  done  for  me  what  I  had  supposed  would  take  ten  years  of 
work.  Only  I  shrink  from  the  obligations  the  gift  seems  to  im- 
pose, lest  I  do  not  prove  worthy  of  your  confidence  and  gener- 
osity.    But  it  lays  me  under  new  bonds  to  do  my  best. 

I  can  truly  say,  that  nothing  of  the  kind  has  ever  so  deeply 
touched  my  heart,  as  this  spontaneous  expression  of  your  gener- 
ous friendship.  While  I  have  ever  counted  the  friendship  with 
which  you  have  honored  me  among  the  rarest  felicities  of  my 
humble  life ;  yet  I  must  also  confess,  that  it  has  been  hard  for 
me  to  believe  that  such  a  man  as  yourself  could  really  regard  me 
with  any  partiality.  But  I  must  now  interpret  your  constant 
kindness  in  a  larger  spirit. 

For  mere  popular  favor  I  have  had  but  little  care,  being  ill- 
fitted  for  it.     But  I  have  coveted  the  esteem  of  a  few  of  the  wise 


246  Hcmy  Boynton  Smith, 

and  good,  because  I  could  enjoy  something  of  their  worth  and 
wisdom,  and  because  I  wished  to  be  like  them. 

I  cannot  tell  you  all  I  think  and  feel  about  you  ;  but  I  can  at 
least  pray,  with  thankfulness,  for  yoiir  welfare. 

May  you  be  abundantly  blessed,  and,  in  part,  for  the  good 
you  have  done  to  others,  and  to  your  sincere  and  grateful 
friend, 

He]S"Ey  B.   Smith. 

"June  13,  1864. 
*^My  dear  Dr.  Smith  :  Undoubtedly  you  have  contracted  an 
obligation  to  those  you  refer  to  ;  and  it  is  to  spare  yourself  and 
take  better  care  of  your  health.  That  is  all ;  and  I  sincerely 
hope  you  will  conform  to  your  part  of  the  compact.  I  honor 
and  love  Dr.  Adams,  for  the  calm  determination  and  good  Judg- 
ment and  effective  activity  with  which  he  met  my  wishes  which 
were  his  own.  And  he  had  vastly  more  weight  tlian  I.  We  are 
off  to  Newport  to-morrow,  but  I  shall  come  back  rather  earlier 
thai!  usual,  and  shall  be  then,  as  now, 

**  Very  truly  yours, 

"  George  Bancroft." 

"New  York,  June  IG,  1864. 
*'Rev.  and  dear  Sir  :  Herewith  I  enclose  for  your  perusal  a 
letter  which  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  from  Mr.  George  Ban- 
croft. That  letter  will  explain  itself.  Accompanying  it  is  a 
check  on  the  Bank  of  New  York,  iovjive  thousand  and  one  hun- 
dred dollars  (15,100),  payable  to  your  order,  which  you  will 
please  accept  as  a  small  expression  of  the  high  esteem  in  which 
you  are  held  by  the  friends  in  whose  behalf  I  am  acting,  and  by 
many  others,  who,  had  they  been  informed  of  it,  would  have 
delighted  to  participate  in  the  proposal  originated  by  Mr.  Ban- 
croft. Though  his  letter  was  addressed  to  me,  the  pleasure  of 
accomplishing  its  intention  has  been  shared  by  me  with  our 
common  friend  Eev.  Dr.  Prentiss.  Praying  that  a  kind  Provi- 
dence may  spare  you  long  to  your  family  and  friends,  and  the 
Church  of  Christ,  in  increasing  usefulness  and  happiness,  I 
remain,  my  dear  sir,  yours  very  cordially,  in  every  expression  of 
respect  and  affection, 

"William  Adams. 


New    York.  247 

**P.  S. — It  is  proper  tliut  I  should  add  the  names  of  the  persons 
who  are  represented  in  this  matter  : 


George  Bancroft,        Tredwell  Ketcham,  R.  jM.  McCurdy, 
Joseph  Howland,        Samuel  R.  Schieffelin,  John  C.  Baldwin, 

William  E.  Dodge,     James  Smith,  M.  M.  Backus, 

Hanson  K.  Corning,  Jonathan  Sturges,  George  W.  Lane, 

John  R.  Pord,  David  Hoadlcy,  Norman  White, 

Edward  Woolsey,        William  A.  Booth,  George  F.  Betts, 

Marshall  0.  Roberts,  Charles  Scribner,  Charles  H.  Leonard." 
Wm.  Curtis  Noyes,     George  B.  Deforest, 
Charles  Butler,           William  Bronson, 


New  York,  84  East  25th  Street,  June  17,  1864. 

Mt  dear  Dr.  Adams  :  I  cannot  fitly  express  to  you  and  to 
those  in  whose  name  you  wrote  me,  my  deep  sense  of  your  great 
liberality  in  sending,  in  this  most  unexpected  way,  a  sum  more 
than  sufficient  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  upon  my  house.  To  me 
it  is  a  large  gift,  lightening  the  cares  of  life,  and  making  me  feel 
stronger  and  better  for  the  work  I  have  to  do.  I  accept  it, 
thankful  to  you,  and  thankful  to  Him,  the  great  Giver,  whose 
service  is  our  common  work  and  our  common  joy.  And  yet  I 
can  truly  say,  that  I  value  this  expression  of  confidence  on  the 
part  of  such  men  as  have  aided  in  this  benefaction,  much  more 
than  I  do  the  gift  itself.  To  be  honored  by  their  regard  is 
indeed  an  honor  and  a  reward.  The  too  partial  letter  of  Mr. 
Bancroft,  in  which  I  understand  it  originated,  the  friendly  zeal 
of  yourself  and  of  Dr.  Prentiss,  and  the  honored  names  attached 
to  your  letter,  demand  of  me  the  most  grateful  recognition ;  I 
trust,  if  God  give  me  grace  and  strength,  that  I  may  not  prove 
wholly  unworthy  of  this  evidence  of  your  favor.  Life  looks 
fairer  and  better  when  crowned  with  the  esteem  of  the  wise  and 
the  good.  May  He  who  blesses  the  cheerful  giver,  bestow  upon 
you  all  abundant  tokens  of  his  loving-kindness. 

Your  sincere  and  grateful  friend, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 


248  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Hon.  George  Bancroft : 

New  Yokk,  34  East  25th  Street,  July  5,  1864. 

My  dear  Sir  :  Being  out  of  town,  I  did  not  receive  your  last 
note  in  time  to  call  upon  you,  as  I  had  intended  to  do  before 
you  left  town. 

Next  week  we  all  leave,  for  the  summer.  In  August  I  hope  to 
be  among  the  Adirondack  hills  with  a  clerical  party,  studying 
the  theology  of  nature. 

In  an  entertaining  volume.  Mayor's  Cambridge,  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  I  have  lately  come  across  a  curious  fact  about 
Herbert's  lines — in  his  posthumous  Church  Militant : 

"  Religion  stands  a  tip-toe  on  our  land, 
Ready  to  pass  to  the  American  strand ;" 

that  when  Herbert's  literary  executor,  the  saintly  Nicholas  Fer- 
rar,  applied  to  the  ViceChancellor  of  Cambridge  (Dr.  Laney), 
for  a  license,  the  latter  refused  to  grant  it,  unless  these  lines 
should  be  stricken  out,  and  Mr.  Ferrar  would  by  no  means  allow 
the  book  to  go  out  without  them.  At  last  the  functionary 
yielded,  saying  :  "  I  knew  Mr.  Herbert  well,  and  knew  that  he 
had  many  heavenly  speculations,  and  was  a  divine  poet ;  but  I 
hope  the  world  will  not  take  him  to  be  an  inspired  j)rophet,  and 
therefore  I  license  the  whole  book." 

An  interesting  collection  might  be  made  of  such  prophetic 
anticipations  about  our  country,  showing  how  strongly  the  hopes 
of  wise  and  good  men  turned  to  these  Western  shores,  as  if 
here  a  "  goodlier  Eden  "  were  to  be  realized.  Mr.  Tuckerman, 
in  his  recent  volume  on  American  Commentators,  has  a  notable 
passage  from  Lafayette,  foretelling  the  joy  with  which  any  divi- 
sion of  our  States  would  be  hailed  by  the  aristocrats  of  Europe. 

In  July,  1864,  lie  delivered  tlie  address  before  the 
Society  of  Inquiry  of  Amherst  College,  at  Commence- 
ment; and,  two  days  later,  repeated  it  before  the  Literary 
Societies  of  Western  Reserve  College,  at  Hudson,  Ohio. 
On  his  journey  home,  he  received  news  which  hastened 
his  return  to  Northampton,  where  he  arrived  not  till 
after  the  death  of  a  lovely  young  niece,  who  had  accom- 


New   York.  249 

panied  him  to  Amherst,  to  hear  his  address,  the  previous 
week. 

Hudson,  Ohio,  July  14,  18G4. 

My  dearest  Wife  :  I  am — not — dead ;  on  the  contrary,  I 
have  got  through  very  well  indeed,  easier  and  better  than  at 
Amherst ;  a  houseful,  after  the  commencement  exercises,  and 
yet  I  managed  to  keep  their  attention  and  to  get  off  my  "piece." 

A  nice   place  here,  at  President  Cutler's.     Mrs.  took 

her  baby  to  church  to  hear  me  this  afternoon.  I  believe  I  kept 
it  awake  all  the  time. 

Eeally  this  trip  and  stimulus  have,  thus  far,  done  me  good. 

Juhj  15.     .    .     .      The  college  made  me  an  LL.D.  yesterday  ! 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  : 

Northampton,  Massachusetts,  July  25,  18G4. 

My  dear  George  :  E.  has  written  your  wife  about  the  sad 
scenes  we  have  been  passing  through.  The  loss  of  C.  is  a  great 
grief  to  all  of  us  ;  but  I  think,  too,  it  has  heightened  our  faith, 
and  made  us  feel  more  deeply  the  reality  of  the  hopes  and  prom- 
ises of  the  Gospel. 

I  have  as  yet  had  but  little  rest ;  but  am  now  beginning  to  be 
quiet.  I  got  through  at  Hudson  very  well,  in  spite  of  my 
fatigue,  and  am  glad  I  went.  It  is  a  pleasant,  quiet,  studious 
place.  I  spent  the  next  Sunday  at  Cleveland,  and  preached  for 
Hawks,  and  was  the  guest  of  John  A.  Foote,  a  member  of  the 
last  Assembly,  brother  of  the  Admiral,  and  a  most  hospitable 
man. 

Then  across  the  lake  to  Buffalo,  and  saw  your  successor, 
Clarke,  and  Heacock,  etc.  Thence  to  Niagara  Falls,  and  preached 
the  installation  sermon  for  Doggett,  whose  name  I  sent  them 
four  months  ago  ;  met  several  of  my  old  students,  and  enjoyed 
the  grandeur  of  the  Falls.  The  same  day  recei^'cd  news  of  C — 's 
illness,  and  came  through,  traveling  night  and  day.  The  funeral 
was  on  Thursday  afternoon.  To-day,  we  all  go  up  to  Ashfield, 
for  the  rest  of  the  week,  and  then  back  here  next  Sunday,  to 
preach,  etc.  AVhether  we  shall  go  to  Conway,  or  stay  round  here, 
is  still  uncertain.  Dr.  Allen  is  quite  feeble.  ...  I  hold  fast, 
still,  to  the  Adirondac  scheme,  as  the  crown  of  this  summer's  trip. 


250  Henry  Boynton  Smith, 

I  wish  and  wisli  that  you  and  yours  were  here.  We  would 
then  find  some  quiet  place  which  would  satisfy  us  all  for  the 
summer. 

There  is  little  to  record  of  the  following  months, 
besides  a  variety  of  literary  work.  He  began  with  the 
year  I860  to  be  a  regular  editorial  correspondent  of  the 
New  York  Evangelists  still  writing  for  other  periodicals, 
among  them  Mr.  Sherwood's  new  monthly,  Hours  at 
Home.  For  his  Review  his  chief  articles  were  those  on 
"Wliedon  on  the  Will,"  "  Mill  versus  Hamilton,"  and 
the  "  Analysis  and  Outline  of  Julius  Muller's  System  of 
Dogmatics." 

In  April  he  preached  at  Northampton,  a  sermon  on 
the  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  ^vritten  in  the 
glow  of  feeling  aroused  by  that  event.* 

On  the  thirtieth  of  April,  the  "Church  of  the  Cove- 
nant," a  beautiful  edifice,  on  one  of  the  finest  sites  in 
the  city,  was  consecrated  to  the  public  worship  of  God. 
On  this  occasion,  Professor  Smith  made,  with  a  full 
heart,  the  prayer  of  consecration.  This  church  was  the 
object  of  his  special  affection  so  long  as  he  lived,  and 
before  its  pulpit  he  lay  in  death. 

New  York,  January  14,  1865. 

My  dear  Mother  :  It  does  not  seem  possible  that  you  are 
to  celebrate  your  seventieth  birthday  ;  that  used  to  be  a  good  age, 
three  score  years  and  ten  !  We  ought  to  be  with  you,  and  make 
something  of  the  day,  as  your  friends  will  do  in  Portland.  Would 
that  I  could  be  there  too,  and  I  would  if  it  were  at  all  feasible. 
It  is  a  long  time  to  look  back  upon,  and  to  you  it  must  be,  in 
many  things,  a  grateful  retrospect,  in  view  of  all  that  God, 
through  His  grace,  has  enabled  you  to  be  and  do  to  so  many 
around  you.  But  your  sons  owe  you  more  of  thanks  and  devo- 
tion than  all  the  rest  together.     .     .     .    And  it  is  such  a  com- 

*This  was  published  in  a  volume  entitled  "Our  Martyr  President,"  etc., 
containing  sermons  and  orations.     New  York — Tibbals  and  Whiting,  1865. 


New   York.  251 

fort  to  ns  to  think  tliat  we  can  do  any  thing  to  lighten  the 
cares  and  burdens  of  your  declining  years.  So  that  I  can  really 
say  that  I  am  glad  you  are  not  rich,  for  then  I  could  not  have 
added  my  mite  for  your  comfort.  Without  you  how  different 
might  have  been  the  course  of  my  life  !  I  thank  God  every  day 
in  remembrance  of  you.  May  you  find  the  peace  and  blessed- 
ness of  the  Christian  faith,  which  you  taught  us  to  know  more 
fully,  to  be  growing  brighter  and  brighter  within  you  unto  the 
perfect  day. 

New  York,   April  15,   1865. 

My  deae  Mother  :  This  terrible  news  about  the  assassina- 
tion of  Lincoln  seems  too  horrible  to  be  believed.  Such  a  crime 
had  never  yet  been  perpetrated  in  this  country — on  Good  Friday, 
too.  The  news  this  afternoon  is  that  Seward  and  his  son  are 
also  both  dead.  What  an  unspeakable  calamity  !  How  it  shows 
the  hellish  character  of  this  rebellion  !  It  is  an  appalling  dis- 
closure of  the  depths  of  wickedness  in  the  ardent  advocates  of 
the  secession.  I  hope  it  will  put  a  stop  to  that  good-natured 
sentimentality  which  was  ready  to  receive  back  all  these  rebels 
and  let  them  play  over  again  their  foul  plots.  Our  only  safety 
is  in  expelling  the  leaders  or  in  executing  them.  We  shall  have 
plot  on  plot  unless  this  be  done.  It  makes  me  feel  sick  at  heart 
to  think  what  awful  crimes  men  can  commit.  But  God,  who 
has  allowed  all  this,  will  surely  overrule  it  for  some  good  and  wise 
end.  Abraham  Lincoln  has  done  a  great  work  in  his  day,  and 
done  it  well.  His  place  is  made  in  history  and  in  the  gratitude 
of  his  country.  No  wiser  or  better  man  have  we  had  for  many 
a  year.     He  will  be  venerated  now  as  a  martyr  to  a  great  cause. 

To  Rev.  Professor  George  P.  Fisher,  D.D.  : 

UxiON  TnEOLOGicAL  SEMINARY,  N.  Y.,  May  6,   1865. 

My  dear  Professor  Fisher  :  You  make  out  a  strong  case 
against  me  in  the  way  of  authorities.  I  had  forgotten,  e.  g.,  that 
Erdmann  was  so  explicit,  but  I  stick  to  the  text  and  the  nature 
of  things.  This  interpretation  of  Spinoza  comes,  I  think,  from 
Hegel,  and  Hegel  interpreted  by  his  distinctions.  My  view  is 
that  the  distinction  between  the  subjective  and  objective  factors 


252  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

in  knowledge  was  not  one  of  Spinoza's  metaphysical  and  mathe- 
matical times,  but  came  in  with  the  later  psychology  and  more 
critical  analysis  of  the  knowing  process.  Spinoza  had  not  got 
on  that  point. 

Spinoza's  method  was  avowedly  mathematical,  and  that,  it 
seems  to  me,  would  lead  him  to  consider  the  attributes  as  inher- 
ing in,  and  not  externally  imposed  upon,  the  substance. 

His  definition  of  attributes  is  (Ethica,  Pars  L,  Del  iv.)  "id 
quod  intellectus  de  substantia  percipit  tanquam  ejusdem  essen- 
tiam  CONSTITUENS."  Erdmann  interprets  ''intellectus"  here 
as  merely  external  and  subjective ;  as  if  our  intellect  added 
these  attributes  to  the  substance  ;  but  S.  says  only  that  intellect 
sees,  that  these  attributes  cOifSTiTUTE  the  essence. 

In  Ethics,  Pars  11.,  Prop.  i. :  *' Cogitatio  attributum  Dei  est, 
sive  Deus  est  res  cogitans  : "  so,  too.  Prop.  ii.  :  "  Deus  est  res  ex- 
tensa."  These  are  meant  to  be  real  definitions  of  the  divine 
essence. 

Look,  too,  at  Prop.  xi.  of  Ethics,  Pars  I. :  God  necessarily 
exists  "infinitis  attributis,  quorum  unamquodque  seternam  et 
infinitam  essentiam  exprimit."  This  can't  be  reconciled  with 
Erdmann's  interpretation. 

I  grant  a  difficulty  about  the  Spinozistic  system,  Avhichever 
interpretation  be  adopted.  But  Erdmann's  view  seems  to  me  to 
destroy  its  whole  logical  character,  its  strictly  (meant  to  be  so) 
deductive  method.  He  makes,  it  seems  to  me,  the  transition 
from  the  infinite  to  the  finite,  with  the  modes  (affections)  and 
not  with  the  attributes.  How  could  he  say,  that  the  one  sub- 
stance exists  in  "  infinite  attributes  " — if  these  attributes  mean 
only — what  our  intellect  adds  to  his  substance  ? 

I  have  looked  hastily  over  Feuerbach  :  he  does  not  make  the 
specific  statement  of  Erdmann,  but  puts  the  thing  more  in  Spi- 
nozistic terms  without  any  such  criticism  or  reflection  from 
another  standpoint. 

I  have  not  time  now  to  look  up  the  matter  further  ;  examina- 
tions, etc.,  going  on.  Perhaps  I  shall  find  time  to  say  more 
by-and-by. 

I  haven't  Orelli's  book.  I  have  a  reference,  which  I  cannot 
now  look  up,  to  Sigwart's  Spinozismus  (Tubingen,  1839)  as 
opposing  Erdmann's  views. 


New   York.  253 

During  the  following  summer,  after  continuous  preach- 
ing and  work,  he  showed  signs  of  weariness  and  ex- 
haustion. In  August  he  went  to  Keene  Valley  among 
the  Southern  Adirondacs,  where,  with  his  family  and  a 
party  of  friends,  he  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  fine  air  and 
scenery.  He  made  long  excursions  through  the  forests 
and  up  the  mountains,  fishing,  boating,  and  camping 
out.*  He  stayed  till  the  middle  of  September  when  he 
returned  to  his  seminary  work. 

Keene  Flats,  August  14,  18G5. 

My  dear  Mother  :  I  wish  you  Avere  here.  We  are  having 
grand  times,  the  air  is  most  exhilarating,  company  pleasant,  all 
my  family  together,  and  all  improving  fast.  I  never  gained 
more  in  the  same  time  than  during  the  past  week.  E.  has  told 
you  of  our  projected  trip  thro'  some  of  the  finest  parts  of  the 
Adirondacs.  The  view  from  Mount  Marcy  is  grand.  The  lakes, 
and  ponds,  and  streams  all  around  are  very  beautiful,  and  this 
is  just  the  time  of  year  to  feel  the  full  contrast  with  the  heat  of 
the  towns.  We  are  all  in  a  one-story,  black,  old  house,  and  etijoy 
it  fully;  plenty  of  cream,  butter,  bread,  eggs— all  delicious  — 
good  hosts.  Our  young  folks  have  started  a  Sunday  school.  I 
have  preached  the  past  two  Sundays — the  first  preaching  (except 
Methodist)  here  for  several  years.  The  people  are  primitive, 
hospitable,  cordial,  glad  to  see  us  all. 

To  the  same : 

New  York,  November  11,  18G5. 

The  seminary  is  fuller  than  ever,  and  with  a  very  good  class 
of  students.  Many  of  them  have  served  in  the  U.  S.  army,  and 
show  by  their  manliness  the  good  effects  of  hard  training.  I 
think  the  prospects  of  the  seminary  never  were  so  bright  as  now. 
There  is  a  very  serious  and  devout  sjoirit  among  the  students, 
and  the  directors  are  showing  more  and  more  interest  in  our 
affairs. 

*  On  one  of  these  excursions,  Phelps,  the  well-known  guide,  claimed  for 
him  and  liis  companion  the  first  exploration  of  the  Au  Sable  Gorge,  "  two 
thousand  feet  of  precipices  on  each  side." 


254  Henry  Boy^iton  Smith. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  American  Branch  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Alliance,  in  January,  1866,  Professor  Smith  was 
appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  to  report  at  the 
general  meeting  which  was  expected  to  be  held  the  next 
summer  in  Amsterdam.  Later,  he  was  appointed  a  del- 
egate to  that  meeting. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  which 
met  at  St.  Louis,  in  May.  He  did  important  work  as 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  Polity,  drawing  up  its 
report  on  reunion  ;.*  as  chairman  of  the  committee  to 
reply  to  the  fraternal  letter  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scot- 
land ;  *  and  also  in  preparing  the  report  of  the  commit- 
tee on  the  State  of  the  Country.*  The  Old  School  Gen- 
eral Assembly  held  its  annual  meeting  at  the  same 
time  in  St.  Louis. 

Two  joint  meetings  of  a  fraternal  and  religions  character 
were  held  with  the  most  auspicious  results.  At  the  close  of  one 
of  these,  the  whole  audience  rose,  as  if  spontaneously,  in  response 
to  a  resolution  that  reunion  was  desirable  and  practicable.  At 
the  united  communion  sarvice,  a  still  deeper  feeling  of  Christian 
union  was  engendered.! 

To  his  wife  : 

St.  Louis,  Friday,  May  18. 

"We  arrived  here  safely  (and  coolly)  on  Thursday  morning, 
two  o'clock,  and  went  to  the  Lindell  House,  a  splendid  affair. 
After  breakfast  to  Assembly,  which  was  duly  opened  ;  a  good 
sermon  on  prayer  by  Shaw.  Professor  Hopkins  of  Auburn  is 
Moderator. 

I  found  them  all  ready  for  me  at  Mr.  Shepley's,  near  the 
church  ;  as  comfortable  as  need  be.  They  are  very  kind,  and  I 
shall  have  a  good  time.  The  Assembly  is  a  very  fair  one,  as  you 
will  see  by  the  roll. 

*  See  Appendix,  C,  D,  E. 

f  "  General  Assembly  at  St.  Louis,"  H.  B.  S. — Am.  Pres.  and  Theol.  Re- 
view, July,  1866. 


New   York.  255 

Sunday,  May  20. — At  length  a  day  of  rest,  no  preaching  but 
hearing,  and  a  coolish  day  after  our  hot  experiences  for  two  or 
three  days  past. 

There  are  so  many  ministers  here,  in  proportion  to  the  pulpits, 
that  I  have  escaped  preaching,  and  this  morning  heard  Dr. 
McCosh  in  the  0.  S.  church ;  he  is  to  preach  in  Dr.  Nelson's 
(N.  S. )  this  evening.  He  gave  us  a  very  good,  interesting,  earnest 
sermon,  on  the  Bi-oad  Church  and  the  Narrow  Church,  with 
abundant  illustrations,  in  a  very  decided  Scotch  accent.  I  have 
letters  by  him  (of  introduction)  from  Professor  Gibson  of  Belfast 
and  Mr.  Carter  of  New  York,  and  shall  introduce  him  to  our 
Assembly  to-morrow. 

The  two  Assemblies  are  to  have  religious  services  together  to- 
morrow morning,  and  the  communion  together,  probably  on 
Tuesday.  The  0.  S.  are  determined  to  put  down  the  secession 
element  and  are  bravely  at  work  on  it,  having  already  put  the 
Louisville  Presbytery  in  durance.  Dr.  Thomas,  of  Dayton,  made 
a  telling  speech  to  them  on  Saturday.  Dr.  Stanton,  their  Mod- 
erator, in  reply  to  our  N.  S.  delegate  (Nelson),  was  very  cor- 
dial, and  distinctly  referred  to  reunion. 

As  far  as  our  Assembly  is  concerned,  all  the  papers  about  re- 
union are  in  my  hands  (as  chairman  of  committee  on  Polity), 
but  it  is  not  yet  time  to  do  anything  with  them. 

The  last  news  we  have  here  from  Europe  looks  more  warlike ; 
what  if,  after  all,  we  have  to  give  up  our  voyage  ?  If  Austria, 
Prussia,  and  Italy  were  at  war,  it  seems  to  me  very  doubtful 
whether  the  Evangelical  Alliance  meeting  would  be  held.  So 
we  had  better,  I  think,  prepare  ourselves  to  be  very  philosophi- 
cal about  it,  if  war  should  actually  break  forth  and  we  be  com- 
pelled to  stay  at  home. 

3Iay  25. — Yesterday  our  Assembly  went  to  Pilot  Knob  and 
Iron  Mountain,  the  most  remarkable  deposit  of  iron  conceivable, 
two  millions  of  tons  a  year  for  two  hundred  years  and  of  the 
purest  sort. 

Before  I  go  to  Europe  Dr.  McCosh  wants  to  have  a  meeting 
of  our  Evangelical  Alliance  in  New  York. 

The  Old  School  are  in  extremely  hot  water,  as  you  will  see  by 
the  papers.     Both  Assemblies  will  ultimately  pass  a  resolution 


256  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

for  a  committee  of  fifteen  of  each  on  reunion,  to  sit  in  the  in- 
terim and  report  next  year.  I  am  seeing  considerable  of  Dr. 
Boardman  and  some  other  0.  S.  men,  and  am  very  busy. 

I've  just  fi.nished  a  Report  on  the  State  of  the  Country,  which 
I  will  send  you,  a  pretty  strong  document.  I  have  also  to  draw 
up  a  Reply  to  the  letter  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland.  But  I 
keep  well. 

May  27. — My  Report  on  the  State  of  the  Country,  which  I 
sent  you,  went  through  the  Assembly  very  straight.  I  also  made 
the  Report  on  Reunion,  which  was  unanimously  adopted,  for  a 
committee  of  fifteen  from  each  Assembly,  to  consult  during  the 
next  year.     So  this  affair  is  in  as  good  a  condition  as  need  be. 

Cars,  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Road,  Wednesday,  May  30. 

I  have  just  determined  to  go  to  Washington  to-night,  as  I 
have  not  seen  the  capital  for  many  a  year,  and  it  will  detain  me 
only  a  day.  This  road  is  certainly  magnificent,  though,  as  you 
see  by  my  writing,  it  is  an  irregular  sort  of  beauty.  No  N.  S. 
person  on  board,  but  a  whole  lot  of  Southern  Baptist  ministers 
(of  one  of  whom  I  have  just  borrowed  this  pencil),  fresh  from 
the  Southern  Convention  at  Louisville,  and  thinking  that  they 
are  now  the  true  Union  men,  and  that  Northern  radicals  are 
dis-unionists. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  : 

St.  Louis,  May  27,  1866. 

Mt  deae  Geoege  :  Yesterday  our  Assembly  voted  unani- 
mously to  raise  a  committee  of  Conference  to  meet  a  similar 
committee  from  the  0.  S.  in  the  recess  of  the  Assemblies  and 
confer  on  reunion.  I  drew  up  our  Report.  Dr.  Gurley  ad- 
dressed our  Assembly  admirably.  No  names  are  yet  announced. 
The  whole  thing  is  in  just  the  right  state. 

My  Report  on  the  State  of  the  Country,  which  is  strong  enough 
even  for  you,  went  through  square  and  straight,  though  some 
have  since  expressed  doubts  about  "  politics  ; "  and  on  one  or 
two  points  the  majority  of  the  committee,  especially  that  old 
war-horse,  Beman,  were  a  little  ahead  of  me.  But,  I  think,  it 
will,  on  the  whole,  do.     I  am  also  drawing  up  a  letter  of  reply 


New   York.  257 

to  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland.  I'm  having  a  first-rate  time, 
meeting  many  0.  8.  and  other  men.  The  0.  S.  passed  the  reso- 
hition  for  the  committee  on  Reunion  quite  unanimously,  though 

and  others  say,  in  the  expectation   that   the   Conference 

would  disclose  irreconcilable  differences.     We  shall  see. 

The  0.  S.  majority  mean  to  drive  the  Louisville  men  to  the 
wall  ;  but  I'm  afraid  they  are  doing  it  with  too  high  a  hand, 
after  the  example  of  the  exscinding  acts. 

Many,  many  thanks  to  you  and  your  wife  (to  whom  give  my 
love)  for  all  your  great  kindness  to  my  family  during  our  break- 
ing up  times.     I  shall  not  forget  it. 

Dr.  McCosh  will  come  back  to  New  York  about  June  13th, 
and  wants  to  have  an  Evangelical  Alliance  meeting  before  I  go 
to  Europe — some  two  or  three  hundred  ministers  and  others. 

From  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner  : 

"Newport,  June  13,  1866. 

"  My  deae  Bkother  :  Thanks  for  your  very  kind  note.  How 
happy  should  I  be,  to  see  and  hear  Dr.  McCosh  to-morrow  even- 
ing ;  and  to  see  j/ou,  face  to  face,  before  your  departure.  I  am 
very  glad  you  are  going,  and  shall  earnestly  pray  for  your  pro- 
tection. I  wish  you  were  less  restricted  as  to  time.  I  read  with 
special  interest  the  reports  from  St.  Louis,  and  marked  particu- 
larly what  they  contained  about  yourself.  Labor  is  your  portion, 
go  where  you  will — the  inevitable  penalty  of  your  having  per- 
formed so  much  of  it  and  all  so  well.  The  Alliance,  very  prob- 
ably, will  not  spare  you.  May  your  strength  be  as  your  day,  and 
your  happiness  more  than  proportionate  to  your  work.  For  our 
country's  sake,  I  rejoice  in  your  mission.  You  will  know  what 
to  say  as  the  representative  and  how  to  say  it.  God's  richest 
mercies  be  with  you,  my  dear  brother  and  friend. 

"i  shall  commend  you  in  constant  prayer  to  the  safe  keeping 
of  God  our  heavenly  father. 

*' Yours  in  the  bonds  of  strictest  friendship, 

"Tho.  H.  Skinner." 


17 


258  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

GEEMANY  EEVISITED. — 1866. 

Oisr  the  sixteenth  of  June,  1866,  Professor  Smith 
sailed,  with  his  wife,  for  Havre.  At  the  end  of  a  de- 
lightful voyage,  made  in  company  with  a  par:y  of  dear 
friends,  the  news  met  him  that  war  was  actually  declared, 
and,  consequently,  there  would  be  no  meeting  of  the 
Evangelical  Alliance.  But  although  he  failed  to  accom- 
plish this  main  object  of  his  trij),  other  desirable  ends 
were  attained,  and  the  summer  was  spent  with  great  en- 
joyment and  benefit  to  his  health. 

In  Paris  he  met  De  Tassy,  De  Pressense,  Laboulaye, 
Monod,  Grandpierre  and  others  ;  and  his  stay  in  that 
city  included  the  Fourth  of  July  and  its  celebration  by 
the  resident  Americans,  in  the  Pres  Catelan. 

He  then  went  directly,  by  way  of  Cologne,  to  Berlin. 
There  his  youth  came  back  to  him.  He  had  hardly  ar- 
rived, after  his  long  night- journey,  when  he  hastened  to 
the  University  ;  and  thither  he  went  before  eight  o' clock, 
morning  after  morning.  He  heard  Twesten  and  Hengs- 
tenberg,  Dorner,  Michelet  and  Trendelenburg,  and  re- 
ceived many  kind  attentions  from  them.  After  a  few 
days  spent  in  revisiting  his  old  friends  and  haunts,  and 
the  chief  objects  of  interest  in  Berlin  and  Potsdam,  he 
went  to  Halle,  where  he  received  a  most  affectionate 
welcome  from  Professor  and  Mrs.  Tholuck,  and  from 
Professor  Ulrici  and  his  family.  He  walked  and  talked 
with  Tholuck  as  of  old,  and  heard  him  lecture,  as  well 
as  Ulrici,  Scheller  and  Julius  Muller.  It  was  like  old 
times,  although  the  presence  at  the  tea-table  of  several 


Germany  Revisited.  259 

of  his  own  Union  Seminary  students  reminded  him  of 
the  many  years  that  had  passed  since  those  pleasures 
were  his  before. 

A  similar  joy  awaited  him  in  Leipsic,  in  the  meeting 
with  his  friends  Professor  and  Mrs.  Kahnis.  The  war 
was  an  engrossing  subject  there  as  in  Halle.  Professor 
Kahnis  had  a  sick  soldier  quartered  in  his  house,  and 
the  lint-maldng  around  the  table  in  the  evening  was  a 
reminder  of  our  own  happily-past  war  times.  A  choice 
company  of  Leipsic  professors  and  scholars  were  brought 
together  to  meet  the  old  friend  from  America. 

He  made  two  visits  to  Professor  Tischendorf,  then  in 
the  height  of  his  enthusiasm  in  regard  to  the  Sinaitic 
Codex.  As  a  result  of  these  visits,  a  copy  of  the  impe- 
rial edition  of  the  Codex  was  afterwards  purchased  for 
the  library  of  Union  Seminary,  which  was  also  other 
wise  enriched  by  purchases  made  at  this  time. 

After  short  visits  to  Dresden,  the  Wartburg,  Nurem- 
berg, Augsburg,  "^^  and  Munich,  he  proceeded  by  way  of 
Lake  Constance,  and  through  the  valley  of  the  upper 
Rhine,  to  Davos  am  Platz,  in  the  high  Pratigau  valley. 
Here  he  had  expected  to  meet  Professor  Tholuck,  who, 
however,  was  deterred  by  the  uncertainties  of  journeying 
in  war  times,  from  accomplishing  his  purpose.  But  a 
fortnight  later,  they  met  in  Basle  at  a  large  conference 
of  German  clergymen.  His  diary  of  that  date  records  : 
"  Evening  with  Tholuck.     Old  times — and  hereafter." 

After  a  few  days  of  travel  in  Switzerland,  he  spent  a 
delightful  Sunday  at  Neuchatel,  with  his  dear  old 
friend,  Professor  Godet.  Thence  he  went  to  Geneva 
and  Chamouni,  and,  through  Paris,  to  England.  In 
Oxford  he  had,  as  he  wrote,  a  ' '  remarkably  nice  time, ' ' 
spent  mostly  with  Dr.  Mansel,  who  courteously  went 
the  rounds  of  the  colleges  with  him. 

*  Here  he  found  the  old  hall  where  Luther  stood  before  the  council  so 
thronged  that  he  could  scarcely  gain  admittance ;  the  children  of  the  schools 
were  receiving  their  annual  prizes. 


26o  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

He  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  third  of  October. 
The  passage  was  long  and  rough.  During  a  severe 
storm  he  was  struck  down  by  a  heavy  inrush  of  water, 
as  he  stood  talking  on  the  deck,  swept  under  it  back 
and  forth,  "drowned  to  all  intents,"  as  he  said,  and,  on 
recovering  his  consciousness,  found  that  his  shoulder 
was  dislocated.  After  various  painful  expedients  had 
been  tried  in  vain  for  two  hours,  he  rose,  and  gave  di- 
rections to  the  surgeon  and  his  assistants,  following 
which,  in  a  few  minutes  all  was  made  right.  That  night 
while  he  lay,  feeble  and  sleepless,  in  his  berth,  the 
large,  heavily-laden  steamer,  Denmarlc,  was  in  extreme 
peril,  lying  for  a  time,  unmanageable,  in  the  trough  of 
the  sea.  But  the  good  hand  of  God  brought  him  safely 
through  the  danger,  to  his  desired  haven,  and  to  a 
doubly  joyful  meeting  with  his  children  and  friends. 

The  next  week  he  began  his  lectures  at  the  Seminary, 
and  soon  he  was  again  in  the  thick  of  work. 

To  General  Joseph  Howland : 

Paris,  July  15,  1866. 

My  deak  Friend  :  We  received,  yesterday, "s  letter,  tell- 
ing us  what  a  fine  time  she  was  having  with  you  ;  and  wished 
ourselves  there,  too,  away  from  the  glare  and  heat,  and  noise,  and 
varieties  of  this  Nouvel  Paris — as  the  French  are  now  calling  it. 
We  leave  to-morrow  for  Cologne  and  Berlin,  thence  to  Switz- 
erland, in  August,  and  back  here  the  first  of  September.  Our 
journey,  thus  far,  has  been  prosperous,  though  the  last  week 
here  has  been  very  hot. 

I  heard  Mignet  at  the  Academy  pronounce  a  brilliant  eulogy 
on  De  Tocqueville  ;  it  was  a  rare  occasion.  I  just  missed  being 
present  a  week  ago  when  Laboulaye  received  his  American 
album,*  with  which  he  was  highly  pleased.  My  note  inviting 
me  was  delayed  ;  but  I  shall  see  him  and  Eousseau  St.  Hilaire 
when  I  return. 

My  wife,  who  sends  best  love  to  you  and  Mrs.  Howland,  is 

*  An  album  filled  with  photograph  likenesses  of  prominent  Americans.    . 


Germany  Revisited.  261 

doing  Tcry  well,  though  longing  for  quiet  tind  coolness  and  the 
jjasturcs  of  the  Lord. 

I  heard  Bersicr  preach  a  finished  discourse  this  morning,  and 
De  Pressense  a  week  ago  ;  the  latter  is  full  of  thought  and  fire. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prefitiss: 

Paris,  July  16,  1866. 

My  dear  George  :  We  are  just  leaving  for  Cologne  and  Ber- 
lin, meaning  to  try,  at  least,  and  get  a  sight  of  my  German 
friends  ;  though  the  traveling  from  north  to  south  of  Germany 
is  at  some  points  broken,  yet  the  through  routes  east  and  west 
are  still  open.  Would  that  you  and  your  wife  were  with  us ! 
Give  my  love  to  her  and  the  children.  The  prospects  of  peace 
arc  still  distant :  Prussia  and  Italy  are  both  in  earnest  to  ac- 
quire more,  and  are  advancing  ;  it  is  doubtful  whether  Napo- 
leon's mediation  will  be  successful  as  yet.  We  are  well,  though 
the  heat  has  been  severe.  After  all,  the  Evangelical  Alliance 
will  not  meet  till  next  spring  ;  this  puts  me  in  a  kind  of  a  fix; 
but  I  will  make  some  arrangement  about  it  when  I  return.  The 
Hitchcocks  are  here,  and  go  to  Switzerland  to-morrow.  I  am 
hungering  for  a  line  from  you.     Love  to  Stearns,  etc. 

Davos  am  Platz,  Switzerland,  August  14,  1866. 

My  deaeest  Mother  :  Here  we  are  in  the  canton  of  Grisons, 
in  the  eastern  part  of  Switzerland,  in  a  village  5,000  feet  high, 
among  the  glaciers  and  snow  banks  of  the  Alps,  with  tlie  ther- 
mometer ranging  for  the  last  few  days  from  40°  to  50°,  and  a 
constant  succession  of  showers — really  in  a  shivering  state. 
Tholuck  comes  here  to-morrow ;  and  on  Monday  next  (20th) 
we  leave  and  go  to  Basle,  to  the  annual  ministers'  meeting  of 
Switzerland,  for  two  or  three  days.  Then  we  shall  go  through 
the  Swiss  Overland  to  Germany  and  reach  Paris  about  the  1st  or 
5th  of  September,  and  home  early  in  October.  Our  German 
journey  was  in  all  respects  delightful ;  we  were  at  Berlin,  Halle, 
Leipsic  and  Dresden,  the  Wartburg,  Nuremberg  and  Munich. 
My  old  friends,  Twesten,  Tholuck,  Ulrici,  and  Kahnis,  and 
others  received  us  most  cordially — and  their  wives,  too.  The 
war  made  us  very  little  trouble  ;  I  have  been  asked  for  my  pass- 
port only  once  since  I  left  Paris.     In  Nuremberg  there  were 


262  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

12,000  Prussians  newly  arrived  ;  but  everything  was  as  orderly 
as  in  times  of  peace.  Germany  I  like  as  much  as  ever ;  it  has 
been  one  of  the  great  wishes  of  my  life  to  come  back  here  and 
bring  my  wife  with  me,  and  now  it  has  been  fulfilled.  It 
seemed  strange  as  well  as  pleasant  to  find  my  old  teachers  still 
in  their  lecture  rooms,  and  teaching  students  as  of  old.  It 
made  me  almost  feel  young  again.  Tholuck  and  his  wife  are  the 
same  as  ever.  She  is  just  now  wearing  herself  out  in  taking 
care  of  the  wounded  soldiers  who  crowd  the  hospitals ;  and  she 
is  just  as  lovely  as  when  I  first  saw  her  with  Tholuck  at  Kissin- 
gen.  Tholuck  told  us  of  this  secluded  place,  and  we  await  him 
here.  We  hope  before  we  leave  to  make  expeditions  to  some  of 
the  glaciers  which  lie  all  around  us.  Here,  too,  we  saw,  for  the 
first  time,  papers  giving  accounts  of  your  terrible  fire  in  Port- 
land— what  a  fearful  time  you  must  have  had  !  It  is  difficult  to 
believe  that  all  those  churches  and  buildings  have  been  swept 
away.  I  have  been  hoping  every  day  to  hear  from  you  some 
particulars  ;  but  we  have  not  heard  a  word  from  you. 

Dear  mother,  I  want  to  see  you  very,  very  much,  and  hope 
and  pray  that  our  Heavenly  Father  may  spare  us  to  meet  again. 

(Translation.) 

From  Prof.  Tlwluck  to  H.  B.  S.  : 

"  Halle,  December  8,  1866. 

"  Dear  Friekd  :  Various  hindrances,  the  Bavarian  railroad 
among  the  rest,  so  interfere  with  my  coming  to  Davos,  that  I 
can  not  say  definitely  as  to  my  coming,  only  abotit  the  24th  or 
25th.  Since  such  hindrances  in  traveling  cannot  always  be 
foreseen,  it  is  possible  that  your  arrival  will  also  be  delayed. 

"  I  still  hope  for  the  joy  of  quietly  being  together  with  you  both. 
Should  this  not  be,  still  your  beloved  image  has  been  so  fresh- 
ened in  my  mind,  that  it  will  remain  before  my  inward  eye  even 
till  my  departure. 

"  In  Christ  eternally  united, 

"  Yours, 

"  A.  Tholuck." 

London,  September  23,  1866. 
My  dearest  Mother  :  Here  we  are  among  English  people 
and  ways,  and  cooking,  and  comforts  again — and  with  our  faces 


Germany  Revisited.  263 

set  homeward.  We  have  been  liere  about  a  week,  and  leave 
probably  on  Wednesday  for  Scotland,  and  sail  from  Liverpool 
on  the  3d  of  October,  hoping  to  arrive  in  New  York  by  the  14th 
or  15tli.  The  thought  of  coming  home  again  makes  us  very 
happy,  for  we  long  to  see  our  dear  children  and  our  dear  parents, 
and  all  those  friends  for  whom  nothing  abroad  can  be  a  com- 
pensation. Our  three  weeks  in  Switzerland  were  very  pleasant. 
Our  week  here  has  been  much  pleasanter,  though  many  of  the 
persons  we  hoped  to  see  are  still  out  of  town,  and  though  the 
London  fog  and  rain  are  at  their  thickest.  It  is  indeed  a 
gloomy  atmosphere,  but  the  people  are  much  better,  though 
they  generally  contrive  by  a  sure  instinct  to  get  on  the  wrong 
side  in  American  politics. 

34  East  25th  Street,  New  York,  October  19,  1866. 

My  dear  Mother:  W^e  arrived  safely  on  Tuesday  afternoon — 
a  passage  of  thirteen  days.  The  first  ten  days  were  pleasant 
and  quiet,  but  we  had  then  a  storm  of  thirty-six  hours,  violent 
— the  severest  I  have  ever  been  out  in .  I  Avas  taken  off  my  feet 
by  one  rush  of  the  waves  (three  or  four  feet  of  water),  and 
whirled  about  between  decks,  with  the  captain  and  two  or  three 
others  ;  and  when  I  came  to  myself  I  found  my  shoulder  dislo- 
cated (the  same  right  shoulder  as  last  year).  It  took  two  doctors 
and  two  captains,  and  two  extra  hands,  about  two  hours  of  hard 
work  to  get  it  back  again.  This  was  last  Sunday  night,  and 
this  is  the  first  letter  I  have  written  since. 

We  found  all  our  children  here  well — very  well.  I  trust  we 
are  grateful  for  our  preservation  and  our  meeting  again.  But 
my  arm  is  too  feeble  and  tired  to  write  more. 

Tlie  following  letter  from  Professor  Tholnck  refers 
to  tliis  accident : 

(Translation.) 

Prof.  TholucTc  to  H.  B.  8.  : 

"Halle,  October  7,  1867. 

"  Heartily  beloved  Friend  :  With  deep  interest  and  sorrow- 
ing sympathy  I  learned  of  your  accident  on  your  voyage  home. 
I  am  very  desirous  to  know  Avhether,  through  God's  favor,  all 
serious  consequences  were  averted. 


264  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

"  Short  as  was  the  time  of  our  reunion,  it  was  equally  dear, 
partly  because  we  have  now  also  the  image  of  your  dear  wife, 
l^artly  because  your  own  has  been  renewed  to  me.  I  found  no 
difference  from  the  old  one,  except  that,  having  forgotten  how 
unlike  you  and  Prentiss  were  in  regard  to  vivacity,  your  quiet- 
ness of  manner  was  an  unexpected  trait.  However,  I  well 
know,  indeed,  how  deep  are  the  waters  under  the  calm  sur- 
face. 

*' As  to  myself,  although  on  the  verge  of  sixty,  God  still  pre- 
serves to  me  all  my  active  powers  as  fresh  as  ever,  excepting 
that  of  writing.  On  the  21st  of  June  we  celebrated  the  jubilee 
of  our  union  with  Wittenberg,  and  as,  on  this  occasion,  the 
authorities  conferred  on  me  the  same  distinctions  which  are 
given  on  personal  jubilees,  it  seemed  to  me  almost  as  if  my  own 
had  been  celebrated.  During  the  years  that  remain,  may  I  be 
kept  in  so  much  the  more  thankful  fidelity,  and  may  I  have 
also  the  joy  of  still  showing  affection  to  some  of  your  country- 
men." 

"  With  truest,  old  love,  and  hearty  greetings  to  your  dear  wife 
from  me  and  mine, 

"  Yours, 

"  A.  Tholuck." 

The  following  pages  are  taken  from  a  lecture  entitled 
"Germany  Revisited,"  which  was  delivered  in  the 
chapel  of  the  Church  of  the  Covenant,  in  January,  1867. 

After  some  general  introductory  remarks  in  regard  to 
Germany  and  the  prominence  of  the  Germans  in  scientific 
invention  and  philosophic  thought,  he  speaks  more  par- 
ticularly of  the  potent  influence  of  Germany  in  the  polit- 
ical and  religious  history  of  Europe,  and  proceeds 
thus  : 

.  .  .  By  the  Thirty  Years'  War  Europe  was  saved  to  the 
Eeformation.  And  the  last  summer  has  shown  what  a  thirty 
days'  war  can  effect  under  competent  leaders.  ...  In  one 
aspect  this  is  the  old  conflict  between  the  North  and  the  South, 
in  which  the  South  has  never  yet  succumbed  ;  in  a  higher  aspect, 
it  is  the  conflict  between  mediaeval  and  modern  ideas.     .     .     . 


Germany  Revisited.  265 

Such  general  reflections  ■would  naturally  come  into  the  mind 
of  any  traveler  in  central  Germany  during  the  past  summer,  on 
witnessing  the  momentous  changes  there  going  on  with  such  he- 
wildering  rapidity.  The  Prussians  seemed  to  be  omnipresent, 
and  state  after  state  reeled  before  their  well-planned  blows,  until 
on  the  old  Bohemian  figliting-ground,  on  the  field  of  Sadowa 
(or  Koniggratz),  Austria  lay  at  the  feet  of  its  northern  con- 
queror, and  was  ignominiously  expelled  from  the  German  Con- 
federation which  it  had  so  long  hampered.  Just  at  this  time, 
in  the  middle  of  the  ever-memorable  month  of  July,  it  was  my 
good  fortune  to  revisit  these  German  scenes,  after  an  absence  of 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ;  and  to  see  a  nation,  formerly 
absorbed  in  industrial,  pliilosophic  and  literary  aims,  now  well- 
nigh  intoxicated  with  a  martial  ambition  and  success,  such  as  it 
had  not  known  since  the  days  of  Frederick  the  Great  (the 
*' Old  Fritz,"  as  the  Germans  call  him),  whom  Carlyle  has 
vainly  endeavored,  in  six  volumes  full  of  brilliancy,  wit  and 
paradox,  to  transform  into  a  moral  hero,  wortby  of  the  venera- 
tion of  mankind. 

But  before  speaking  of  this  great  political  change,  which  in- 
volves so  much  bearing  upon  the  future  destiny  of  Eurojie,  we 
must  glance  at  some  of  the  more  general  aspects  of  tbe  country, 
as  they  strike  the  eye  of  a  traveler,  after  the  lapse  of  nearly  a 
generation.  .  .  .  How  changed,  yet  how  familiar  seems 
every  object  on  which  the  eye  gazes  !  .  .  .  The  changes  in 
ourselves  we  transfer  to  the  outward  world.  The  past  comes 
over  us  like  a  dream.  We  gaze  with  a  kind  of  reverence  on 
what  Ave  formerly  saw  in  a  careless  and  familiar  way.  The  dis- 
tances have  become  contracted  ;  what  was  once  grand  seems 
common,  what  was  once  common  seems  hallowed.  In  the 
changes  of  life  we  see  something  of  its  meaning  and  mystery. 
Would  that  we  could  be  as  once  we  were  !  Would  that  the  past 
could  be  recalled  in  fact  as  well  as  in  remembrance  !  Would 
that  those  old  dreams  and  aspirations  had  been  better  realized  ! 
Would  that  we  were  now  what  it  then  seemed  that  we  might  be 
and  become  —  that  we  might  not  have  to  repeat  with  such 
a  sad  meaning  those  saddest  of  words,  "What  might  have 
been ! " 

But  amid  all  these  changes,  here  again  was  nature  the  same 


266  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

as  of  old ;  mers,  hills,  plains,  the  vine-clad  slopes,  the  cultured 
fields  spread  out  in  their  beauty,  and  arched  by  the  same  blue 
vault  above  :  the  heavens  and  the  earth  change  not  until  their 
appointed  time,  while  man,  the  pilgrim,  wanders  on  and  on. 

And  the  scene  which  first  greeted  our  eyes  in  coming  out  of 
Belgium  into  Germany,  brought  us  at  once  to  what  is  charac- 
teristic of  the  country.  Over  the  new  and  massive  bridge  of 
stone,  our  train  crossed  the  lordly  Ehine,  and,  near  the  bank  of 
the  river,  left  us  at  the  station,  face  to  face  with  a  scene  which 
brought  out  the  whole  contrast  between  the  new  and  the  old. 
Just  above  was  the  long  bridge  of  boats,  as  of  yore  ;  the  Ehine 
rushed  swiftly  by  ;  just  before  us  was  the  grand  Cologne  Cathe- 
dral, but  it  was  like  a  new  and  splendid  vision.  The  ruin  had 
become  a  temple  ;  the  squalid  huts  which  erst  jutted  close  up  to 
the  very  buttresses  were  all  taken  away  ;  a  full  view  of  the  trans- 
cendent structure  could  now  first  be  obtained  and  its  full  mean- 
ing be  legible.  More  than  six  centuries  ago  the  foundations  of 
this  minster  were  laid,  forty-eight  feet  below  the  surface.  For 
three  centuries.  Catholic  piety  and  zeal  piled  stone  upon  stone. 

"  They  builded  better  than  they  knew  ; 
The  conscious  stones  to  beauty  grew." 

And  then  came  the  Reformation,  and  the  work  was  left  half  done; 
the  chapel  finished  in  its  sublime  and  delicate  tracery,  but  the 
nave  a  mere  skeleton,  the  towers  incomplete,  while  the  idle, 
massive  crane,  left  by  the  workmen  at  the  very  top  of  an  unfin- 
ished tower,  swung  lazily  in  the  air.  But  a  Protestant  ruler,  the 
late  King  Frederick  William  IV.,  of  Prussia,  took  up  the  work 
anew,  to  finish  what  the  middle  ages  designed.  Six  centuries 
after  the  foundation  was  laid  the  restoration  began,  and  it  has 
been  going  on  until  now,  the  plan  and  designs  of  the  original 
architect  being  faithfully  followed.  The  late  munificent  patron 
of  art,  Louis  of  Bavaria,  gave  the  gorgeous  painted  windows 
of  the  south  side  of  the  nave,  which  rival  in  brilliancy  the  old 
glass  paintings  on  the  north  side  ;  the  north  and  south  transepts 
and  central  tower  are  nearly  completed  ;  and  Catholic  and  Prot- 
estant Germany  together  will  probably  finish  during  this  cen- 
tury this  miracle  of  ecclesiastical  architecture. 


Germany  Revisited.  267 

*'  A  hymn  to  God  sung  in  obedient  stone,"  as  one  of  our  own 
poets  (Lowell)  calls  a  grand  temple,  with  its  "great  minster 
towers  rising  like  visible  prayers"  (Whittier);  as  if  the  stubborn 
rocks  had  been  reared  and  shaped  in  order  fair,  crystallized  to 
the  sound  of  the  most  beautiful  and  solemn  strains  of  music. 
As  it  now  stands,  it  is  an  imperfect  example  of  the  most  perfect 
period  of  Gothic  architecture,  so  full  of  thought  that  every 
detail  has  its  meaning,  and  yet  so  practical  in  adaptation  that 
every  detail  has  its  use  ;  so  firm  in  structure  that  were  the  very 
walls  knocked  down,  it  would  still  stand  securely  on  its  piers 
and  buttresses.  In  the  endless  variety  and  multiplicity  the 
unity  of  the  whole  is  perfectly  preserved.  It  is  the  work,  says 
one,  of  an  artist,  who,  having  worshiped  beside  the  fountain  of 
primeval  beauty,  has  drunk  in  those  essential  principles  of  har- 
mony which  speak  to  the  souls  of  all  men.  And  its  present  re- 
storation, in  which  both  Catholics  and  Protestants  unite,  fore- 
shadows— may  we  not  hope  ! — the  better  coming  time,  in  which 
the  feuds  of  jarring  sects  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  unity  of  a 
more  perfect  faith,  and  when  these  old  cathedrals  shall  resound 
with  the  strains  of  a  purer  and  sublimer  worship  than  was  pos- 
sible in  the  age  of  superstition  in  which  they  were  begun,  or  in 
the  age  of  conflict  in  which  they  were  restored. 

.  .  .  And  by  this  old  city,  famous  for  its  churches,  its 
Catholicism,  its  Cologne  water  (of  which  there  are  some  half  a 
dozen  sole  genuine  original  venders),  and  its  many  other  odors 
immortalized  by  Coleridge — by  this  city  flows  the  noble  Khine — 
"  that  exulting  and  abounding  river."  Its  banks  are  crowned 
with  the  monuments  of  an  old  civilization ;  its  vine-clad  hills 
still  echo  the  songs  of  the  peasants  as  they  gather  or  press  the 
grape.  Its  old  peaks  have  heard  the  sounds  of  every  European 
language,  and  resounded  to  the  tread  of  the  armies  of  all  the 
nations.  There  are  broader  and '  deeper  streams,  flowing  among 
grander  hills  and  through  lovelier  plains,  our  own  Hudson  has 
spots  unsurpassed  by  any  on  the  Rhine  ;  but  there  is,  after  all, 
no  river  on  which  the  rains  fall  that  can  tell  such  a  story,  or  has 
known  such  a  history.  It  is  among  rivers  what  the  Mediterra- 
nean is  among  seas. 

.  .  .  Slowly  ooze  its  waters  from  the  glaciers  of  Adula ; 
madly  they  leap  down  the  falls  of  Schaffhausen ;  between  mighty 


268  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

nations  they  form  the  ever  moving  yet  abiding  boundary ;  in 
many  a  ship  and  boat  they  bear  the  wealth  of  commerce ;  each 
old  ruin,  whose  dismantled  battlements  they  reflect,  tells  them  a 
tale  of  conflict  and  of  rapine  ;  each  castle,  as  its  looks  darkly  into 
the  stream,  recalls  its  olden  knights,  its  fair  dames  wooed  and 
won  by  feats  of  chivalry  ;  each  rock  has  its  myth  ;  every  city  on 
its  banks  has  its  long  record  of  a  thousand  years,  and  its  churches 
■whose  foundations  were  coeval  with  the  dawn  of  European  civil- 
ization ;  and  there  are  hill  and  dell,  "  fruit,  foliage,  crag,  wood, 
corn-fields,  mountain,  vine,"  all  mirrored  in  the  flowing  stream 
as  it  glides  peacefully  by.  The  German  loves  his  Rhine,  his 
"  Father  Ehine,"'  his  "  King  Ehine,"  as  he  fondly  and  loyally 
calls  it. 

.  .  .  When  I  first  went  to  Germany  as  a  student,  in  the 
spring  of  1838,  railroads  wei'e  not  yet  in  vogue,  but  now  the 
rapid  train  took  me  in  one  night  (instead  of  some  six  days)  from 
Cologne  to  the  capital  of  Prussia,  whose  population,  nearly  dou- 
bled during  the  last  thirty  years,  was  now  exulting  with  a  quiet 
enthusiasm  upon  the  stirring  news  that  was  every  day  coming  in 
about  the  great  battle  of  Kdniggriitz,  and  the  subsequent  progress 
of  the  German  arms.  It  was  the  right  time  to  be  in  Germany 
and  in  Berlin,  to  see  the  wonderful  changes  going  on,  and  to 
study  the  character  of  the  people  in  a  new  light.  There  were 
no  such  exuberant  manifestions  of  excitement  as  would  have 
been  seen  in  New  York  or  Paris.  .  .  .  The  whole  popula- 
tion, owing  in  part  to  the  strict  discipline  of  an  absolute  mon- 
archy, took  matters  very  quietly.  Just  before  the  war,  undoubt- 
edly a  vast  majority  even  of  the  Prussians  were  opposed  to  it, 
and  nothing  but  transcendent  success  made  it  popular.  In  the 
great  avenue  TJnter  den  Linden,  there  was  not  much  more  than 
the  usual  bustle;  the  print  shops  displayed  maps  and  portraits; 
around  that  frowning  and  ugly  pile,  the  Schloss  (the  great  pal- 
ace), there  was  more  of  a  semblance  of  a  crowd,  to  see  the  Aus- 
trian cannon,  some  twenty,  which  had  been  sent  in  as  trophies, 
(the  Prussians  did  not  lose  one  in  the  campaign)  ;  and  the  peo- 
ple gathered  round  them,  and  the  boys  climbed  on  them  and  the 
girls  patted  them,  but  all  in  a  very  decorous  way. 

.     .     But  the  chief  attraction  to  me  was  the  University, 
at  which  I  had  formerly  spent  a  year  as  a  student,  listening 


Germany  Revisited.  269 

to  the  lectures  of  Neander  (now  no  more)  and  other  world- 
renowned  teachers.  The  noble  University  building  is  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  objects  near  the  chief  Place  of  the  Metrop- 
olis, by  its  very  site  showing  the  dignity  which  is  conferred  upon 
science  and  letters  in  this  intellectual  capital  of  a  country  where 
all  are  faithfully  taught,  and  where  the  arts  and  sciences  flourish 
under  the  fostering  care  of  the  government.  .  .  .  Some  of 
the  men  whom  I  heard  in  my  youth  are  still  reading  their 
courses  with  unabated  zeal.  Here  wasTwesten,  Sch'eiermaeher's 
successor,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  still  vigorous,  genial  as 
ever,  and  reading  with  the  serenity  of  a  mature  wisdom.  Tren- 
delenburg, the  best  Aristotelian  in  Germany,  hardly  seemed  older 
than  when  I  formerly  heard  him  expounding  the  philosophy  of 
the  great  Stagirite,  or  analyzing  and  refuting  the  logic  of  Hegel, 
the  great  German  counterpart  of  Aristotle.  .  .  .  And  here, 
still  arrayed  in  harness,  was  the  indomitable  Hengstenberg,  jerk- 
ing out  his  sharp  arrows  against  all  ritualists  and  democrats, 
and.  exposing  the  negative  criticisms  in  scornful  falsettos.  The 
room  of  Dorner  was  the  most  thronged,  and  the  students  hung 
upon  his  wise  and  measured  words,  as  he  expounded  the  Incar- 
nation with  unrivalled  breadth  of  learning  and  high  construc- 
tive skill.     .    .     . 

The  general  tone,  both  in  theology  and  philosophy,  is  much 
more  conservative  and  evangelical  than  it  was  thirty  years  ago. 
Then  the  "Life  of  Jesus,"  by  Strauss,  and  the  Hegelian  pan- 
theism threatened  to  sweep  all  before  them,  and  Germany  was 
alive  with  the  momentous  struggle.  But  now  there  are  compar- 
atively few  in  University  chairs  who  think  that  Christianity  is  to 
be  superseded  by  philosophy,  or  that  Hegel  has  solved  the  prob- 
lem of  the  universe  better  than  Christ.  Idealism  has  lost  its 
power ;  the  reactionary  materialism  of  the  last  ten  years  cannot 
retain  a  permanent  influence  ;  historical  and  theological  investi- 
gations take  the  place  of  purely  philosophical  constructions. 
Something  more  than  abstract  ideas  are  necessary  to  produce  and 
govern  the  world.  And  the  new  career  now  opening  for  Ger- 
many will  also  tend  to  bring  merely  abstract  speculation  into 
still  narrower  limits. 

.  .  .  Nor  can  I  delay  to  describe  Potsdam,  with  its  endless 
round  of  palaces,  gardens  and  groves,  its  memories  of  Frederick 


270  Henry  Boynton  S^nith. 

the  Great,  and  Voltaire  and  Humboldt,  its  charming  statue  by 
Eauch  of  Queen  Louisa  in  the  repose  of  death,  in  its  infinite 
grace  and  loveliness,  one  of  the  most  perfect  specimens  of  mod- 
ern sculpture  ;  nor  tlie  beautiful  palace  of  Babelsberg,  where  I 
once  played  with  the  present  Crown  Prince,  who  had  now  Just 
led  the  Prussian  army  to  the  final  charge  of  victory.  Then  he  was 
was  a  boy  of  seven,  under  the  tuition  of  my  friend  Godet,  now 
pastor  and  professor  in  Neuchatel,  and  still  cordially  remembered 
by  his  old  pupil,  who  sends  him  every  few  months  a  friendly 
letter. 

Nor  can  we  tarry  at  Wittenberg,  the  cradle  of  the  Eeforma- 
tion,  still  fragrant  with  the  memory  of  Germany's  greatest  man 
and  reformer.  Next  we  come  to  Halle,  the  most  noted  theolog- 
ical school  in  Germany,  an  awkward,  straggling,  dirty  town,  now 
quite  altered  in  its  suburbs,  but  whose  interior  streets  are  much 
like  a  labyrinth.  Professor  Tholuck  says  that  this  town  is  cursed 
as  to  all  the  four  elements  :  its  waters  are  saline,  its  earth  is 
rough  and  unfruitful,  its  air  is  heavy,  and  its  fires  are  bad. 
Cholera,  too,  was  just  now  appearing.  Many  of  the  houses  had 
Austrian  prisoners  and  wounded  Prussians  quartered  upon  them, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  country  in  war,  severely  taxing 
the  means  of  the  inhabitants.  Works  of  charity  were  abounding. 
The  house  of  one  of  the  professors  was  full  of  ladies  working,  as 
ours  used  to  do,  for  the  suffering  soldiers.  A  sewing  machine 
there  sent  from  this  country  a  few  years  ago,  was  doing  good 
service  for  the  needy.  This  ugly  old  town  Avas  transfigured  by 
its  beneficence. 

The  first  persons  whom  an  American  student  cares  to  see  here 
are,  of  course,  Professor  Tholuck  and  his  accomplished  wife.  I 
had  been  with  them  many,  many  years  ago  when  they  first  knew 
each  other,  and  now,  after  so  long  a  time,  there  were  the  old 
looks  and  greetings,  the  hearts  unchanged,  and  time  had  been 
gentle  with  their  persons,  too.  No  man  in  Germany,  even  now, 
comes  nearer  to  the  hearts  of  his  students  than  does  Professor 
Tholuck ;  and  it  would  be  difficult  anywhere  to  find  a  more 
accomplished  lady,  delicate  in  feminine  grace,  mindful  of  the 
wants  of  others,  indefatigable  in  charitable  deeds,  than  his  wife  ; 
of  noble  birth,  but  born  again  to  a  higher  nobility  among  the 
daughters  of  Zion.     Tholuck  himself  is  a  man  who  might  have 


Germa7iy  Revisited.  271 

been  a  great  orientalist,  or  a  great  poet,  or  a  successful  dramatist, 
or  the  first  of  German  preachers,  or  unrivaled  in  the  mere 
amplitude  of  his  general  attainments.  Something  of  all  these  he 
still  is  ;  but  he  is  also  more  than  any  one,  or  all — he  is  a  devout 
believer.  His  influence  turned  the  tide  against  rationalism  at 
Halle  (its  stronghold)  when  he  was  still  young ;  his  preaching 
inspired  all  who  heard  him  with  a  better  and  tenderer  faith  ;  his 
life  lived  down  his  calumniators  ;  his  personal  influence — so 
affable  is  he,  so  quick  to  feel,  so  felicitous  in  rebuke — has  moulded 
more  young  men  than  has  any  other  German  theological  teacher. 
Americans  go  to  him  as  by  instinct.  He  speaks  English  right 
well,  loving  our  queerest  idioms,  and  he  used  to  keep  his  private 
journal  in  Arabic.  His  lecture-room  is  still  thronged,  and  no 
one  now  expounds  the  most  profound  and  spiritual  parts  of 
Scripture  with  a  deeper  insight,  with  an  humbler  and  truer 
faith. 

Julius  Midler,  too,  is  at  Halle,  somewhat  enfeebled  by  years, 
but  still  able  to  read  his  lectures  on  theology  and  ethics,  em- 
bodying a  system,  perhaps  the  most  wise  and  fruitful,  nearest  to 
a  true  adjustment  between  faith  and  philosophy,  of  any  now 
taught  in  Germany.  The  glory  of  Halle,  as  the  first  theological 
school  in  Germany,  has  not  departed. 

From  Halle  we  passed  in  an  hour  to  Leipsic,  out  of  the  Prus- 
sian dominions,  but  still  in  presence  of  the  Prussian  soldiery, 
who  were  holding  this  kingdom  in  subjection,  while  its  vener- 
ated and  accomplished  ruler.  King  John,  was  in  Vienna.  .  .  . 
Leipsic  and  Dresden,  as  we  saw  them,  were  stagnant  from  the 
effects  of  the  war.  The  great  Leipsic  book-trade  was  dull  ;  its 
university,  however,  was  still  active,  and  is  rapidly  rising  in  im- 
portance. Here  is  Tischendorf,  whose  labors  on  the  New  Testa- 
ment text  have  given  him  a  world-wide  fame  ;  keen,  rapid,  ver- 
satile, enthusiastic,  not  to  say  egotistic,  with  a  case  full  of  medals 
and  orders  from  every  European  court,  including  the  Pope,  and 
a  room  full  of  manuscripts  ;  just  now  busily  engaged  in  prepar- 
ing for  the  press  the  Vatican  Codex  (so  far  as  the  pontifical 
jealousy  allows)  as  he  has  already  published  the  Sinaitic  Codex, 
probably  of  equal  antiquity,  under  the  munificent  patronage  of 
the  Czar  of  Eussia. 

Kahnis,  the  most  genial  and  learned  of  the  Leipsic  corps  of 


272  Henry  Boynton  Sjnith. 

professors,  I  found  transformed  from  an  ardent  youth,  full  of 
fire  and  genius,  into  a  strong,  earnest,  yet  still  enthusiastic  man, 
winning  the  love  of  all  his  students,  and  looking  very  grand,  es- 
pecially in  contrast  with  his  youtliful  habiliments,  in  the  splendid 
apparel  of  the  Eector  Magnificus  of  the  University. 

Dresden  was  almost  deserted ;  few  strangers  were  there  this 
summer.  But  its  galleries  were  still  open,  the  best  for  Italian 
art  north  of  the  Alps  ;  and  there,  in  her  serene  loveliness,  was 
still  that  most  ideal  and  perfect  of  all  the  paintings  of  the  Mother 
and  Child — the  Sistine  Madonna  ;  alone,  as  was  fitting,  in  a  room 
by  itself,  the  canvas  further  unrolled  since  I  had  before  seen  it, 
so  as  to  show  the  top  and  rings  of  the  curtain,  undimmed  by 
age,  superlative  in  its  tender  majesty,  hovering  between  heaven 
and  earth,  rapt  in  contemplation,  virginal  yet  maternal,  with 
those  deep  eyes  that  no  copy  can  reproduce,  full  of  solemn  won- 
der, half  sad,  half  jubilant,  as  if  an  unspeakable  burden  were  on 
her  soul,  yet  a  burden  from  which,  for  the  world,  she  would  not 
be  quit.  Tliere  must  be  a  better  and  fairer  world  than  this,  for 
here  is  one  of  its  radiant  forms  :  else  the  resources  of  the  artist 
are  greater  than  those  of  the  Maker  of  the  world. 

Just  before  we  left  Leipsic,  my  friend  Kalmis  said  to  us : 
"You  have  not  seen  Germany  until  you  have  seen  the  Wartburg 
and  Nuremberg,"  and  so  we  sped  thither.  The  Wartburg,  since 
I  was  there  before,  has  been  nearly  all  restored  in  the  most  fin- 
ished style  of  building  and  decoration,  recalling  all  the  glories 
and  piety  of  the  sainted  Elizabeth.  And  from  its  summit,  as 
one  day  declined  and  another  dawned,  we  feasted  our  eyes  on  one 
of  the  loveliest  landscapes  which  Germany  knows.  As  we  de- 
scended the  hill  afoot,  the  streets  of  Eisenach,  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  were  full  of  bright  boys  and  girls  going  to  their 
day-schools  with  cheerful  chat  and  merry  laughter. 

The  old  Bavarian  Protestant  city  of  Nuremberg  had  been 
occupied  for  a  fortnight  by  twelve  thousand  Prussian  troops. 
The  soldiers  were  quartered  everywhere,  and  the  rations  de- 
manded were  large,  including,  of  course,  several  pots  of  beer  and 
half  a  dozen  cigars  joer  diem  for  each  man.  And  this  Northern 
Protestant  army  in  this  old  mediaeval  city  Avas  significant  of  the 
vast  changes  going  on  in  Germany.  The  narrow  and  crooked 
streets,  with  their  high  houses,  retaining  the  ancient  style  of 


GeriJiany  Revisited.  273 

building  and  ornament,  were  filled  with  a  quiet  and  orderly 
soldiery,  who  were  guilty  of  no  excesses.  One  of  the  most  im- 
pressive of  spectacles  was  the  old  church  of  St.  Laurence,  with 
its  paintings  by  Durer  (of  Nuremberg  birth),  and  its  exquisite 
sculptures  of  Peter  Vischer,  filled,  on  Sunday,  in  every  part,  by 
the  Prussian  and  Luxemburg  troops,  attentive  and  decorous,  and 
all  joining,  with  subduing  effect,  in  those  grand  old  German 
chorals  which  elevate  the  soul  of  the  worshiper.  But  I  must 
not  linger  upon  these  details  ;  nor  can  I  speak  of  other  cities 
such  as  Augsburg  and  Munich,  through  which  we  sped  our  way 
south,  until,  at  the  borders  of  Lake  Constance,  the  glories  of 
Switzerland  began  to  break  upon  our  view.  We  passed  a  mem- 
orable month  amid  the  wonders  of  the  Oberland,  and  the  sub- 
limities of  the  Chamouni  Valley,  associating  these  unequaled 
scenes  with  the  goodness  and  grandeur  of  Him  who  made  them, 
and  also  associating  our  daily  pleasures  with  the  memories  of 
many  friends  at  home,  through  whose  kindness,  in  part,  we  were 
permitted  thus  to  pass  a  summer  vacation. 

We  reluctantly  omit,  as  less  relevant  to  his  personal 
history,  many  pages  of  clear  delineation  and  almost 
prophetic  insight  regarding  the  political  changes  and 
prospects  of  Europe,  quoting  only  a  few  of  the  closing 
words. 

During  our  late  war,  a  Swiss  committee  wrote  a  letter  to  our 
government,  which  contained  the  pregnant  words  :  "Unfinished 
questions  have  no  pity  on  the  repose  of  nations  ;  "  and  Europe  is 
full  of  unfinished  questions  ;  .  .  .  the  question  of  races  and 
nationalities,  the  question  of  Papacy  and  Protestantism,  the 
question  of  Church  and  State,  the  question  of  absolute  or  con- 
stitutional government,  the  question  of  aristocracy  or  democ- 
racy, the  question  of  a  secular  State  and  of  a  Christian  State ; 
when  these  questions  are  all  settled,  the  end  draweth  nigh.  And 
these  unfinished  European  questions,  as  we  read  them  over,  Avhat 
a  lesson  of  thankfulness  they  have  for  us,  for  here  we  are,  in  the 
main,  beyond  them.  Our  church  and  State,  our  freedom  now 
universal,  our  commingling  instead  of  contending  races,  give  us 
hopeful  auguries  for  the  future.     Europe  must  fight  these  ques- 

18 


2  74  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

tions  out.  We  have  other  questions,  indeed,  to  answer,  but  these 
are  of  the  past  for  us. 

All  Europe  and  America  are  invited  to  a  grand  exposition  of 
the  peaceful  arts,  to  be  held  in  Paris  the  coming  spring  ;  and 
meanwhile  all  Europe  is  arming  to  the  teeth,  increasing  its 
armies  by  at  least  one-third.  .  .  .  *'  J'espere  c'est  la  paix," 
said  Napoleon.      ''C'est  re/?ee,"  said  his  witty  critics.     .     .     . 

Who  needs  not,  in  the  midst  of  these  fearful  portents,  ever  to 
call  to  mind  the  gracious  promise  that  at  last,  at  last,  the  king- 
doms of  this  world  shall  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and 
that  He  shall  reign,  with  peaceful  dominion,  from  the  river  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth. 


New  York.  275 


CHAPTER  X. 

NEW  YORK.— 1867-1869. 

"IJNioisr  and  Reunion,"  tlie  Evangelical  Alliance  of 
Christendom  and  the  reunion  of  the  severed  branches  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  America  were  the  absorbing 
topics  of  the  next  year.  With  both,  his  pen  was  con- 
stantly busied  in  private  correspondence  and  in  articles 
for  the  public  press. 

The  Fifth  General  Conference  of  the  Evangelical  Alli- 
ance, postponed  from  the  previous  year,  was  held  in 
Amsterdam  in  August,  1867.  Professor  Smith's  re- 
port on  the  American  Churches,  as  chairman  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  the  American  branch,  was  sent  by 
the  hands  of  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Charles  W.  Woolsey, 
in  the  hope  that  he  would  be  present  and  read  it.  In 
his  absence,  and  in  the  pressure  of  the  time,  and  with 
the  drawback  of  a  foreign  language,  only  portions  of  it 
were  read  by  Rev.  S.  I.  Prime,  D.D.  This  report  was 
printed  in  full  in  the  American  Presbyterian  and  Theo- 
logical Revieio,  October,  1867. 

In  behalf  of  reunion  he  wrote,  during  the  year,  strong 
editorials,  for  the  New  York  Evangelists  *  and  articles  for 
other  papers.  In  October,  his  "  Reply  to  the  Princeton 
Memew  on  Reunion  "  aj^peared  in  his  Review. 

Dr.  Prentiss  writes  of  this  article  : 

**  After  the  sermon  at  Dayton,  it  was,   perhaps,    Professor 

*  "  Many  of  its  editorials  were  written  by  Henry  B.  Smith,  who  did  more 
than  any  other  one  man  to  bring  about  the  reunion. 

"  H.  M.  Field,  D.D." 
Eimigelist,  February  12,  1880. 


276  Henry  Boyjiton  Smith. 

Smith's  best  service  in  the  cause  of  Reunion.  The  circumstance 
that  it  was  written  in  reply  to  the  foremost  theologian  and  the 
chief  literary  organ  of  the  Old  School,  as  well  as  its  great  abil- 
ity, attracted  to  it  instant  and  universal  attention.  It  was  at 
once  issued  in  pamphlet  form,  and  circulated  far  and  wide  by 
the  friends  of  Eeunion  in  that  branch  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Its  influence  upon  the  younger  ministers  and  upon 
the  laymen  was  especially  marked. " 

Here  are  its  opening  sentences  : 

"  Thirty  years  ago  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  was  divided.  The  rupture  was  preceded  by  violent  eccle- 
siastical agitations  and  bitter  doctrinal  controversies.  A  new 
generation  has  since  grown  up,  and  a  new  and  calmer  spirit  per- 
vades our  churches.  By  a  sure  instinct  they  have  been  coming 
nearer  together.  The  question  about  voluntary  societies  has  be- 
come insignificant ;  the  doctrinal  differences  are  fading  away  ; 
the  Plan  of  Union  is  well  nigh  obsolete  ;  slavery  is  abolished 
throughout  the  land  by  a  higher  than  ecclesiastical  authority  ; 
the  Southern  Presbyterian  Churches  are  together,  and  by  them- 
selves, and  likely  to  remain  so  for  some  time.  The  whole  of  the 
new  generation  of  ministers,  and  the  great  body  of  the  lait}",  in 
both  branches  of  the  Church,  see  no  sufficient  reason  for  contin- 
uing a  division  which  weakens  and  embarrasses  us  at  many 
points,  which  is  a  reproach  to  our  Christianity,  and  an  incubus 
upon  our  proper  Christian  work.  We  have  the  same  standards 
of  doctrine  and  j^olity  ;  we  are  distinguished  by  identical  family 
characteristics  from  the  other  denominations  around  us  ;  we  are 
living  and  working  for  the  same  ends,  in  the  same  towns  and 
villages,  across  the  broad  central  belt  of  the  same  country ;  we 
are  planting  our  missionary  and  feeble  churches  side  by  side  in 
our  new  States  and  Territories,  and  so  wasting  our  strength. 
Why,  then,  should  we  stay  longer  asunder  ? 

"  Wise  and  good  men  have  been  asking  this  question  for  the 
last  ten  years  ;  and  the  time  has  now  come  when  it  must  be  an- 
swered. Before  God  and  our  consciences,  acting  in  the  name  of 
the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  and  under  the  most  solemn  sense 
of  our  responsibility  to  him  and  to  his  Church,  we  are  sum- 
moned to  answer  this  question,  on  which  so  much  depends.    No 


New   York.  277 

more  momentous  ecclesiastical  decision  is  now  pending.  Perso- 
nal and  partizan  considerations  are  as  the  small  dust  in  the  bal- 
ance. And  we  are  to  answer  it  in  view  of  the  present  and  the 
future,  rather  than  of  the  past.  The  stress  is  not  on  what  we 
may  have  been,  but  on  what  we  now  are,  and  what  we  are  to  be. 
Each  side  may  honor  for  their  services  the  men  who  bore  aloft 
its  banner  in  the  contests  of  the  past  generation;  each  may  still 
claim  that  itself  was  then  all  right,  and  the  other  party  all 
wrong  ;  but  that  is  not  the  question  now  before  us.  We  have  a 
present  duty  to  perform  ;  and  the  past  may  be  to  us  quite  as 
much  a  warning  as  an  example.  He  who  reads  the  present  only 
by  the  lights  and  shades  of  the  past  can  not  act  wisely  for  the 
future.  And  we  are  in  fact  deciding  rather  for  our  posterity 
than  for  ourselves.  Those  who  oppose  reunion  assume,  then,  a 
most  serious  responsibility." 

Having  given  the  Report  of  the  Joint  Committee,  con- 
taining the  proposed  terms  of  rennion,  the  article  then 
proceeds  to  repel,  at  length,  the  attack  of  the  Princeton 
Bemew  upon  the  New  School,  on  account  of  its  alleged 
lax  doctrine  of  subscription  to  the  standards.* 

He  wrote : 

New  York,  October  10,  1867. 

My  dear  Brother  Stearns  :  I  want  to  follow  up  my  article 
in  the  October  number  of  Revieio  on  Reunion,  by  another  article, 
on  the  Doctrinal  Differences  of  Old  and  New  School,  going  into 
the  matter  historically,  theologically  and  irenically. 

I  also  want  you  to  write  on  all  the  remaining  items  of  tlie  Plan 
of  the  Committee,  the  Plan  of  Union  Churches,  the  Seminaries, 
the  Board,  the  Books,  etc.,  etc.  Won't  you  do  it  ?  The  matter 
must  be  pressed  now. 

By  the  way,  a  pamphlet  edition  of  my  Reunion  article  is  to  be 
published.  Please  run  it  over  and  tell  me  if  there  is  anything 
to  be  altered  or  modified. 

In  Ifovember  the  Presbyterian  Union  Convention  met 


*  Further  extracts  from  this  article  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix,  F. 


2/8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

in'  Pliiladelphia.    The  account  of  this  important  meeting 
is  best  given  in  his  own  words. 

"  The  Philadelphia  Convention  was  called  at  the  instance  of  the 
Synod  of  the  Eeformed  Presbyterian  Church,  by  a  communica- 
tion addressed  to  all  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
this  country,  *  for  prayer  and  conference  in  regard  to  the  terms 
of  union  and  communion  among  the  various  branches  of  the 
Presbyterian  family.'  It  met  in  Philadelphia  on  Wednesday, 
November  6th,  and  concluded  its  sessions  on  Fi-iday,  Novem- 
ber 8th. 

"  Delegates  from  the  0.  S.,  N.  S.,  United  Presbyterians  and 
Eeformed  Presbyterians  were  present.  The  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterians, being  Arminians,  could  not  adoj^t  the  doctrinal 
basis,  and  the  Dutch  Eeformed  were  not  ready  to  join  anybody 
else. 

"In  this  Convention  representatives  of  all  the  leading  Presby- 
terian Churches  (excepting  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church, 
from  which,  we  believe,  there  was  only  one  delegate)  met  to- 
gether, for  the  first  time  in  our  history,  to  consult  about  reunion. 
Consequently  it  seemed  very  doubtful  what  would  come  of  it. 
For  some  of  the  leading,  not  to  say  extreme,  men  in  the  differ- 
ent churches  were  there,  men  thoroughly  versed  in  all  the  points 
of  difference  and  controversy,  representative  men,  who  would 
not  be  disposed  to  concede  anything  which  would  be  considered 
essential  or  necessary.  Had  the  spirit  of  division  and  contention 
been  uppermost,  here  was  a  great  arena  for  its  exercise.  But, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  Avith  one  exception,  an  entirely 
different  spirit,  that  of  brotherly  love  and  confidence,  presided 
over  the  deliberations,  and  determined  the  results.  It  was  a 
decisive  and  satisfactory  demonstration  of  the  real  unity  of  our 
churches.  Manifestly  a  higher  than  human  power  presided  in 
the  Convention.  The  spirit  of  Christ  subdued  and  mellowed 
all  hearts.  The  spirit  of  prayer  was  poured  out  in  an  unwonted 
measure ;  and  in  hallowed  hymns  the  deepest  feelings  of  faith 
and  love  found  concordant  expression.  It  is  not  often  that  be- 
lievers stand  together  on  such  a  mount  of  vision,  and  find  the 
glory  of  heaven  thus  begun  on  earth.  And  yet  these  high- 
wrought  emotions  did  not  lead  to  any  rash  conclusions,  such  as 


New   York,  2  79 

a  cooler  judgment  might  disapprove.  On  the  contrary,  the  spirit 
of  love  moved  in  unison  with  the  spirit  of  wisdom.  Men  were 
still  cool  and  intent,  and  weighed  their  words.  While  points  of 
controversy  were  justly  kept  in  the  background,  yet  the  differ- 
ences were  not  neglected,  but  rather  harmonised.  And  the  Con- 
vention was  remarkable  as  to  its  results,  in  going  just  as  far  as 
it  did,  and  properly  could,  and  in  going  no  farther.  It  exceeded 
the  most  sanguine  expectations  as  to  the  conclusions  reached, 
but  it  did  not  trespass  on  ground  not  properly  belonging  to  it. 
It  was  a  high  festal  day  for  the  Church.  It  was  good  to  be 
there. 

''Another  circumstance,  impressive  and  providential,  contrib- 
uted to  increase  the  spirit  of  Christian  fellowship  in  yet  wider 
relations.  Three  societies,  supported  by  what  is  known  as  the 
Low  Church  party  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  were 
holding  their  anniversaries  at  the  same  time  in  the  city  of  Phil- 
adelphia. [These  societies  were  the  Evangelical  Knowledge, 
the  Home  Missionary  and  that  for  the  Education  for  the  Min- 
istry.] At  one  of  their  meetings,  prayer  was  offered  for  the 
Presbyterian  Convention,  that  its  deliberations  might  help  on 
the  work  of  reunion  for  which  it  met.  This  was  announced  to 
the  Convention,  which  responded  by  offering  prayer,  and  also  by 
appointing  a  committee  to  present  their  Christian  salutations,  in 
person,  to  the  Episcopal  clergy  and  laity  there  assembled.  The 
members  of  the  committee,  Drs.  Henry  B.  Smith  and  Stevenson 
of  New  York,  Senator  Drake  and  Elder  Robert  Carter,  were 
most  cordially  received,  with  strong  expressions  of  satisfaction 
at  tliis  visible  manifestation  of  Christian  brotherhood.  The 
only  regret  expressed  was  that  they  had  not  taken  the  initiative. 
Bishop  Mcllvaine,  in  responding  to  the  delegation,  pronounced 
a  noble  eulogy  upon  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  what  it  had 
done  for  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness.  One  after  an- 
other spoke,  and,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  the  most  hearty 
expressions  of  Christian  fellowship  Avere  exchanged.  A  delega- 
tion to  our  Convention  was  also  appointed  by  the  Episcopalians, 
and  the  reception  of  this  delegation  on  the  morning  of  Friday, 
was,  indeed,  a  memorable  occasion. 

"  For  the  first  time,  we  believe,  in  this  country,  did  so  large  a 
number  of  Episcopalians  and  Presbyterians  unite  in  a  common 


28o  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

service  with  fraternal  greetings.  The  Episcopal  delegation 
consisted  of  Bishops  Mcllvaine  and  Lee,  Judge  Conyngham, 
Eev.  Stephen  H.  Tyng,  Jr.,  and  Mr.  Brunot.  They  were  at- 
tended by  about  two  hundred  of  the  Episcopal  clergy  and  laity. 
Mr.  [George  H.]  Stuart  was  in  his  element  in  receiving  them, 
and  giving  out  the  quaint  Scotch  version  of  the  133d  Psalm  : 

'  Behold  how  good  a  thing  it  is, 
And  how  becoming  well, 
Together  such  as  brethren  are 
In  unity  to  dwell.' 

"Dr.  Newton  of  the  Episcopal  Church  made  an  earnest  prayer; 
the  whole  assembly  united  in  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and, 
subsequently,  led  by  Professor  Smith,  in  reciting  the  Apostles' 
Creed  ;  Mr.  Stuart  almost  pronounced  the  benediction  ;  •'  Blest 
be  the  tie  that  binds,'  was  sung,  of  course  ;  and  the  vast  assem- 
blage was  stirred  to  its  depths,  and  elevated  to  the  highest 
Christian  emotion.  Bishops  Mcllvains  and  Lee,  Drs.  Hodge, 
Tyng,  and  Stearns  made  eloquent  addresses.  And  then  with 
prayers  and  thankful  tears,  and  repeated  benedictions,  and  the 
solemn  doxology,  the  audience  dispersed,  thanking  God  for  the 
communion  of  saints."* 

Professor  Smith,  wrote  to  Ms  mother,  November  ITth : 

We  had  a  grand  meeting  of  Presbyterians  in  Philadelphia 
last  week,  and  helped  on  the  reunion  cause  wonderfully.  I 
never  was  at  an  ecclesiastical  assemblage  Avhere  there  was  such 
manifest  indication  of  the  presence  of  God's  good  spirit,  guiding 
and  calming  men's  minds.  Some  of  the  strongest  opponents  of 
reunion  were  converted  on  the  spot.  Even  Dr.  Hodge  relented 
wonderfully.  I  think  that  the  question  is  now  virtually  settled. 
The  coming  in  of  the  Episcopal  delegation  so  large,  and  able,  was 
a  memorable  event  and  moved  all  hearts.  These  Low  Church 
Episcopalians  were  glad  of  the  occasion  to  recognize  us  as  fellow- 
ministers  and  co-laborers  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 

*  American  Presbyterian  and  Theological  Review,  January,  1868. 


New    York.  281 

From  Eleazer  Lord,  Esq.  : 

"  PiERMONT,  November  14,  1867. 
**Eev.  H.  B.  Smith,  D.D. 

*'  My  dear  Sir  :  1  rejoice  exceedingly  in  the  doings  of  the 
late  convention  at  Philadelphia,  and  the  very  prominent  part 
you  have  taken  in  initiating  and  urging  and  facilitating  the 
measures  so  unitedly  and  cordially  adopted.  Some  of  the  scenes 
cannot  be  read  in  the  reports,  without  overwhelming  emotion, 
tears,  thankfulness  and  joy.  It  seems  more  like  Pentecost  re- 
newed, than  anything  I  have  ever  read.  A  chasm  is  passed. 
Great  and  good  results  will,  I  believe,  soon  follow." 

The  late  Rev.  Dr.  Giirley  wrote  : 

"Washington,  D.  C,  December  10,  1867. 

'*  .  .  .  As  you  thank  me  for  my  letter  in  the  Presbyter, 
approving  your  article  in  reply  to  Dr.  Hodge,  you  will  allow  me 
to  thank  you,  with  all  my  heart,  for  that  article.  It  was  timely 
and  exactly  to  the  point,  and,  I  believe,  it  has  exerted  a  power- 
ful and  happy  influence  in  favor  of  Eeunion  in  every  jiart  of  the 
Old  School  branch  of  the  church." 

The  Rev.  R.  L.  Stanton,  D.D.,  who  as  Mod(^rator  of 
the  Old  School  General  Assembly  at  St.  Louis,  in  1866, 
had  appointed  its  committee  of  Conference  on  Reunion, 
wrote  from  Oxford,  Ohio,  November  25th  : 

"I  cannot  forbear  writing  to  express  my  great  gratification  at 
the  results  of  the  late  Presbyterian  Convention  held  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  to  congratulate  you  on  the  part  you  took  in  amending 

the  reported    'Basis.'     Dr.  has  told  me  the  remark  Dr. 

Hodge  made,  that  *  if  all  the  New  School  men  were  like  you 
and  Dr.  Fisher,'  he  would  have  no  fears  of  reunion.  I  am  most 
gratified  with  the  report  which  Dr.  Monfort  brings  that  the 
results  arrived  at  by  the  Convention,  in  conjunction  with  the 
speeches  made  and  the  spirit  manifested,  are  regarded  as  settling 
the  question  of  union  between  our  two  bodies. 

''I  must  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  your 
answer  to  Dr.  Hodge.     It  is  a  searching,  scathing  (though  not 


282  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

unkind),  jnst  and  comiolete  reply.  A  short  time  since  I  ex- 
pressed my  wish  that  your  article  miglit  be  sent  to  all  our  min- 
isters. I  was  not  then  aware  that  it  had  been  contemplated, 
much  less  that  it  had  been  done.  You  have  done  the  Union 
cause  a  great  service  by  that  article.  I  know  of  some  in  our 
body,  prominent  men  in  the  West,  until  lately  opposed  to 
Union,  who  were  changed  by  reading  your  reply,  and  who  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  all  our  ministers  might  see  it.  I  hope  it 
may  change  the  views  of  others  in  the  same  direction." 

Rev.  Marvin  R.  Yincent,  D.D.,  wrote  thus  : 

'*  As  Moderator  of  the  New  School  Assembly  of  1863;  in  his 
ringing  utterance  on  'Christian  Union  and  Ecclesiastical  Ke- 
union;'  by  his  vigorous  vindication  of  the  fidelity  of  the  New 
School  Church  to  the  standards,  after  the  presentation  of  the 
reunion  plan  of  1867;  as  delegate  to  the  Philadelphia  Convention 
of  1867,  from  which  his  modest  little  amendment  of  two  lines 
to  the  second  article  of  the  Basis  went  up  into  the  Assembly  of 
1868,  and  became  one  of  the  strong  strands  of  the  bond  of 
union  ;  by  his  liberal,  conciliatory,  frank  spirit,  and  his  delicate 
Christian  tact,  he  has  associated  his  name  indissolubly  with  that 
great  crisis  in  the  history  of  the  American  Presbyterian  Church."  * 

In  regard  to  tlie  "modest  little  amendment  of  two 
lines,"  which  was  this  :  "It  being  understood  that  this 
Confessionf  is  received  in  its  proper  historical,  that  is, 
the  Calvinistic  or  Reformed,  sense,"  we  quote  again 
from  Rev.  Dr.  J.  F.  Stearns : 

*'  It  took  the  Convention  by  surprise.  Some  did  not  see  the 
need  of  it,  others  feared  it  would  raise  a  new  and  unnecessary 
discussion.  But  the  mover  persisted.  To  a  friend,  who  sug- 
gested that  some  would  prefer  to  have  him  withdraw  it,  he  re- 
plied, '  I  have  offered  it,  and  the  Convention  may  dispose  of  it 
as  they  like;  vote  it  down  if  they  do  not  like  it.'  His  object 
is  manifest.  First,  to  meet  the  objections  on  the  part  of  a  con- 
siderable  section  of  the  Old  School,  of  which  the  Princeton 

*  Pres.  Quarterly  and  Princeton  Review,  April,  1877. 
f  i.  e.,  The  Westminster  Confession. 


New   York.  283 

Review  was  the  representative  ;  and,  second,  to  test,  in  an  open 
and  explicit  manner,  the  position  of  the  New  School  on  the 
subject  of  accej)ting  and  adopting  the  Confession.  In  the  lat- 
ter view  its  success  was  most  signal.  .  .  .  The  result  proved 
eminently  acceptable  to  all  candid  men  in  both  parties. 
It  had,  no  doubt,  a  most  important  influence  in  producing  har- 
mony and  confidence  between  the  two  parties  in  all  parts  of  the 
church. "  * 

At  the  request  of  the  Philadelphia  Convention,  Pro- 
fessor Smith  gave  an  account  of  its  proceedings  to  the 
students  of  the  seminary,  on  his  return  to  New  York. 
At  a  public  meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  he 
spoke  on  the  same  subject ;  and  at  a  reunion  meeting  in 
December  he  made  a  long  address. 

"  Work,  work,  on  Reunion  Article,"  he  wrote,  Decem- 
ber 26th.  This  was  on  "  Presbyterian  Division  and  Re- 
union in  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  the  United  States," 
published  in  the  January  number  of  his  Remew^  as 
supplementary  to  the  preceding  article  on  "Presbyte- 
rian Union  in  the  Colonies  of  Great  Britain,"  reprinted 
from  the  British  and  Foreign  Evangelical  Remew,  Oc- 
tober, 1867. 

By  letters  and  newspaper  articles,  by  private  confer- 
ences and  public  speeches,  he  labored  incessantly  for 
reunion.  He  wrote  "enormously"  (to  quote  his  own 
word)  upon  the  various  points  which  came  up.  His  cor- 
respondence upon  the  subject  was,  in  itself,  enormous. 
At  two  public  meetings  held  in  New  York,  early  in  Janu- 
ary, 1868,  he  made  stirring  speeches,  the  latter  when  he 
was  hardly  able  to  leave  his  bed.  At  a  meeting,  Janu- 
ary 16th,  of  the  Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  he 
made  an  address  of  forty  minutes,  on  "Division  and 
Reunion,"  and,  the  next  day,  wrote  an  editorial  on  the 
same  subject  for  the  Neio  York  Evangelist.    During  this 

*  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Reunion.— ^m.  Pres.  and  Theol.  Review, 
July,  1869,  pp.  583,  584. 


284  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

time  he  was  far  from  well.  The  pressure  of  overwork 
and  exciting  feeling  was  telling  npon  his  health,  and 
now  and  then  he  was  housed  for  days  with  feverish 
pain. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  was  outside,  extra 
work.  His  daily  lectures  at  the  seminary,  always  re- 
vised, if  not  partially  re-wiitten,  before  delivery,  were 
going  on  with  as  much  freshness  of  enthusiasm  as  if  he 
had  no  other  interest.  So  far  from  abating  his  regular 
duties,  he  sometimes  gave  additional  instruction  to  his 
students. 

His  labors  as  co-editor  of  the  American  Presbyterian 
and  Theological  Bemew  were  by  no  means  light.  The 
consultations  and  arrangements  for  subjects  and  writers, 
the  reading  of  multitudinous  manuscripts,  accepted  and 
rejected,  the  amount  of  reading  requisite  for  his  book- 
notices  and  for  collecting  his  literary  intelligence  from 
American,  English,  French  and  German  periodicals,  the 
proof-reading,  usually  at  a  late  hour  of  the  night,  all 
these  caused  the  oft-returning  pressure  of  preparation 
for  the  "next  number,"  to  be  looked  upon  in  his  home 
with  deprecating  eyes. 

In  May,  1868,  he  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly in  Harrisburg,  Penn. 

To  his  wife  : 

Harrisburg,  May  20,  1868. 

Arriyed  here  safely ;  Skinner,  Spear,  Prentiss,  Stearns;  nice 
folks  and  time.  Mrs.  DeWitt  and  family  very  cordial.  My 
room  looks  just  on  the  Susquehanna,  a  mile  broad — beautiful. 

May  22. — Stearns  was  elected  [Moderator]  by  a  great  major- 
ity ;  made  a  first-rate  speech,  which  you  will  find  in  a  paper  I 
will  send.     You  will  get  a  daily  paper. 

Mr.  Dodge  had  a  very  good  reunion  meeting  last  evening. 
This  morning  Dr.  Adams  read  his  report — admirable — and  Dr. 
Patterson  read  his  reply.     All  goes  well  so  far. 

Sunday,   May  24. — I  preached  for  the   German   Reformed 


New  York.  285 

Church  this  morning.  This  afternoon  is  given  up  to  the  Sun- 
day-school celebration.  Keunion  is  growing  here  rapidly.  Our 
committee  on  the  joint  committee's  report  had  a  long  session 
yesterday  afternoon.  Spear  is  on  it,  and  is  yielding.  If  the 
Old  School  do  right,  we  can  carry  the  report  through  our  As- 
sembly by  a  heavy  vote.  Dr.  Fisher  brought  yesterday  good 
accounts  of  the  way  things  are  going  at  Albany  [0.  S.  Gen- 
eral Assembly].  They  have  got  right  into  the  thick  of  the 
fight,  it  seems. 

I  am  very  well,  better  than  when  I  left;  not  too  much  to  do; 
well  taken  care  of.  The  DeWitts  are  very  kind.  Steams  and 
Prentiss  are  next  door.  It  is  good  to  get  away  from  the  ruts 
and  routine  ;  it  wall  be  better  to  get  home  to  you . 

May  21. — Yesterday  was  our  "field-day  "on  reunion.  Our 
special  committee  brought  in  their  report  (after  long  discussion) 
and  we  have  converted  the  Assembly.  Spear  has  given  in 
wholly,  and  Patterson  on  all  but  one  article,  so  that  there  is  to 
be  no  fight.  It  will  pass  well-nigh  unanimously,  and  the 
0.  S.  must  take  the  responsibility  of  its  rejection.  Great 
times !  Conversions  unexpected  !  The  0.  S.  delegates  (Rich- 
ardson, of  New  York,  and  Chancellor  Green)  were  capital. 
Nelson  made  a  noble  speech.  I  spoke  in  the  afternoon.  Every- 
body is  in  a  glow ;  feeling  better.  To-day  the  debate  goes  on. 
To-morrow  to  Gettysburg  ;  a  long  day  of  it,  three  hundred  go- 
ing. Stearns  is  doing  exceedingly  well  (tell  his  wife)  as  Moder- 
ator. I  have  a  considerable  extra  work  to  do,  on  bills  and 
overtures,  committee  reports,  etc.,  but  find  time  enough  to  do 
it  in. 

Friday  afternoon  May  29. — Victory  !  The  Reunion  Report 
has  passed  unanimously.  On  one  article  there  were  thirty-seven 
dissenters,  but  on  the  final  vote,  all  these  went  for  the  Report, 
three  or  four  not  voting.  A  splendid  triumph  and  the  opposi- 
tion nowhere  ! 

We  had  a  grand  time  at  Gettysburg  yesterday,  all  day,  from 
seven  A.  m.,  till  eleven  p.  m.,  eighty  miles  and  back,  a  memora- 
ble occasion,  of  which  I  cannot  stop  to  tell,  as  I  must  be  off  to 
the  Assembly,  the  Convention,  etc. 

May  31.— We  have  had  a  great  week  of  it,  and  succeeded  at 


286  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

last  beyond  all  our  expectations.  The  North-Western  men  seem 
somewhat  chagrined,  but  they  could  not  stand  their  ground  at 
all  in  the  discussion  in  open  Assembly.  Even  on  the  right  of 
examination,  the  most  disputed  point,  they  were  in  a  small 
minority.  Everybody,  almost,  is  delighted  at  the  result,  also  at 
that  in  the  Old  School,  so  far  as  it  goes,  better,  I  confess,  than  I 
iKid  expected.  The  vote  in  the  0.  S.  Assembly  really  means  that 
Hodge's  type  of  theology  is  not  to  be  considered  binding  in  the 
reunited  church.  The  0.  S.  sent  us  a  proposition  to  alter  the 
doctrinal  basis,  but  we  have  declined  doing  so,  at  least  for  the 
present.  To-day  is  splendid — a  bright,  sparkling  day — the  air 
finely  tempered,  and  all  nature  rejoicing.  Would  that  you  were 
here.  .  .  .  Drs.  Skinner,  Stearns,  and  Prentiss  are  all  well. 
I  do  not  preach  to-day.  This  morning  I  heard  a  German 
preacher  of  the  Albright  sect  (Evangelical  Association).  Dr. 
Fisher  has  preached  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  everybody,  and 
Duryea,  etc.,  etc.  We  shall  probably  not  break  up  before  Tues- 
day ;  a  good  deal  of  business  is  still  behind  hand.  Next  year 
the  Assembly  meets  in  our  church,  and  the  Old  School  in 
Murray's.  On  Wednesday  next,  the  Tunkers  or  Dunkards,  have 
a  great  gathering  at  Shiflfensburg,  about  thirty  miles  down  the 
Cumberland  Valley,  and  I  think  I  shall  go  to  it,  with  some  oth- 
ers ;  if  so,  I  shall  probably  not  be  liome  before  Thursday,  as  I 
want  to  stay  over  a  train  and  see  March  at  Easton.  I  have  had 
a  good  deal  to  do  on  my  committee,  and  shall  still  have,  but  I 
am  very  well  indeed,  and  put  into  unusually  good  spirits  by  our 

results.  .  .  .  I  am  sorry  for 's  disappointment,  which  wemtist 

try  to  make  up  to  her.  .  .  .  The  flowers  are  from  Gettysburg 
cemetery. 

He  performed  a  good  amount  of  literary  work,  during 
this  year,  1868.  In  the  spring  he  gave  a  course  of 
lectures  on  psychology  at  one  of  the  schools  in  the  city. 
In  April  he  read  before  the  JS'ew  York  Historical  Soci- 
ety a  newly  written  paper  on  ' '  Increase  Mather  and  his 
Times,"  which  he  repeated,  in  June,  by  request,  before 
the  Historical  Society  of  Long  Island.  Tliis  address, 
which  he  declined  to  have  published,  was  an  earnest 
vindication  of  Mather  against  the  charges  which  be- 


New   York.  287 

longed,  as  he  urged,  far  more  to  the  times  than  to  the 
man.  A  few  months  previously  he  had  read,  before 
the  New  York  Historical  Society,  a  similar  defence  of 
Cotton  Mather. 

He  also  wrote  this  year  the  article  on  Calvin,  for  Dr. 
McClintock's  '^yclopcedla,  and  the  Commencement 
address  before  the  literary  societies  of  Bowdoin  College. 
He  was  at  this  time  a  correspondent  of  the  London 
Evangelical  Christendom,  for  which,  among  other  con- 
tributions, he  gave  an  account  of  the  "Camp  Meeting" 
at  Martha's  Vineyard,  which  he  had  attended  in  com- 
pany with  Professor  R.  D.  Hitchcock,  and  other  friends. 

The  following  letters  refer  to  some  of  his  less  public 
interests  during  this  year. 

New  York,  Janiwry  2,  1868. 

My  dear  Mother  :  A  most  happy  New  Year  to  you  ! 
Would  that  I  could  give  you  the  salutation  in  person.  All  send 
best  love  and  greetings.  Do  you  know  that  next  Sunday  is  our 
twenty-fifth  marriage  day — a  whole  quarter  of  a  century  !  .  .  . 
And  we  are  all  S2:)arcd,  all  quite  well,  and  have  so  many  blessings 
to  recount.  It  will  be  a  day  of  thankful  and  happy  memories, 
for  God  has  been  very  good  to  us.  .  .  .  And  we  have  great 
comfort,  too,  in  all  our  children.  Few  persons  can  look  back  on 
so  many  years  so  full  of  mercies. 

January  6. — We  did  have  just  the  nicest  time  at  our  silver 
wedding  anniversary  (on  Monday  evening),  and  I  only  wish  that 
you  and  Dr.  Allen  could  have  been  here.  I  am  sure  you  would 
have  rejoiced  in  it  together.  It  was  a  simple,  almost  unpremedi- 
tated affair,  but  we  had  a  good  many  friends  present.     .     .     . 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss : 

Wednesday  evening,  January  8,  1868. 

My  dear  George  :  ...  We  want  to  tell  you,  too,  how 
thankful  we  are  to  you  and  your  wife,  for  all  you  have  been  to 
us  these  many  long  j^ears,  when  you  two  have  been  our  best 
friends  here  in  the  midst  of  so  many  changes  and  trials.     Such 


288  Henry  Boynton  'Smith. 

long  friendsliip,  nerer  jarred  by  a  word,  is  indeed  above  all  price. 
I  do  not  know  Avhat  we  should  have  done  or  been  without  you. 
We  thank  you,  too,  for  the  prayer  you  made  for  us — just  what 
we  wanted  prayed.  The  Lord  bless  and  keep  you  and.  yours 
evermore  ! 

From  Mr.  Bancroft: 

"  Berlin,  April  4,  1868. 

"  Caro  Dottore. — Glad  always  to  hear  of  the  increase  of  Prot- 
estantism, especially  in  Rome  !  May  you  live  to  see  your  grand- 
son triumph  over  the  complete  liberation  of  Italy,  and  the  fall  of 
the  temporal  power  of  the  pope.  The  spiritual  will  die  out 
with  what  there  is  of  servile  in  the  nature  of  corrupt  humanity. 
The  longer  I  consider  the  subject,  the  more  I  find  in  the  funda- 
mental idea  of  Protestantism  the  animating  principle  of  mod- 
ern success  in  political  organization. 

''Dorner  was  delighted  with  the  translation,  which,  is  indeed, 
admirably  well  done.  He  owns  his  History  of  Protestantism  is 
meagre  ;  but  blames  you  for  it.  He  and  many  others  are  eager 
for  sketches  of  the  American  theological  leaders ;  and  are  very 
ready  to  give  them  that  attention  they  deserve.  The  accounts 
must  come  from  a  New  England  man,  and  you  are  the  chosen 
one  to  do  it.  An  'objective'  sketch  of  the  development  of  N. 
E.  theology  would  be  in  itself  a  work  of  the  highest  im- 
portance, and  would  just  now  attract  universal  attention  among 
German  theologians. 

"  Send  on  your  Increase  Mather,  when  printed :  remember. 
Eothe's  new  edition  sparkles  with  wit  and  almost  drollery." 

To  his  wife : 

July  11,  1868. 

I  trust  that  you  found  your  father  comfortable,  and  able  to 
recognize  you.  Give  him,  if  he  can  know  the  message,  my  love, 
and  my  warm  thanks  for  all  he  has  done  for  me  and  us.  His 
has  been,  indeed,  a  beautiful  and  consistent  Christian  life.  He 
departs  full  of  honor  and  veneration.  Even  you  could  not  desire 
a  better  life  and  a  better  end  for  your  dear  father.  I  love  and 
honor  him  as  much  as  even  you,  dearest,  could  wish. 


New    York.  289 

On  the  sixteenth  of  July,  the  father-in-law  of  Pro- 
fessor Smith,  Rev.  William  Allen,  D.D.,  died  at  his  resi- 
dence at  Northampton.  His  life  of  varied  literary  and 
Christian  activity  closed  in  a  serene  and  honored  old 
age.  At  last,  with  all  his  children  around  him,  he 
passed,  in  peace  and  faith,  to  his  long-desired  home 
above. 

Professor  Smith  Joined  the  family  at  Northampton, 
where,  already  wearied  with  work,  he  soon  succumbed  to 
the  excessive  and  protracted  heat. 

It  was  proverbial  in  his  family  that  ' '  work  was  his 
normal  condition,"  and  that  his  strength  gave  way  as 
soon  as  he  began  to  rest.  It  became  more  and  more  evi- 
dent that  his  labors  were  performed  under  too  great  a 
strain.  Nature  asserted  her  rights  whenever  she  had  an 
opportunity. 

He  spent  a  few  weeks  after  this,  at  "Cumberland 
Foreside,"  a  few  miles  north  of  Portland.  He  returned 
to  New  York,  early  in  September,  but,  after  lecturing 
for  ten  days,  he  was  again  ill,  and  for  weeks  afterward 
he  struggled  against  the  adverse  current. 

To  Hon.  George  Bancroft : 

New  York,  October  2,  1868, 

Mr.  and  others  want  me  very  much  to  pnblisli  what  3^on 

say  about  Seymour  and  Grant ;  but  I  think  you  would  rather 
choose  your  own  way  of  reaching  the  public.  General  Dix's 
letter  has  produced  quite  an  impression.  The  tide  is  setting 
deep  and  strong  against  the  repudiation  platform  ;  nobody  now 
seems  to  doubt  much  about  the  result.  I  was  down  in  Maine 
during  the  canvass,  and  it  was  really  inspiring  to  see  how  the 
strong,  right  sense  of  the  people  got  hold  of  the  real  facts  and 
principles.  Here  in  New  York  they  have  even  got  up  a  success- 
ful Irish  demonstration  for  the  Eepublicans. 

Dr.  Bellows  is  back,  full  of  burning  zeal  against  all  the  mere, 
cold  rationalists  and  destructive  critics,  planting  himself  fairly 
on  positive  and  ''institutional"  Christianity.  He  even  thinks 
19 


290  Henry  Boyjiton  Smith. 

that  Dean  Stanley  and  Jowett,  and  such  like,  have  a  too  negative 
position.  He  means  to  come  out  against  the  sceptics  in  the 
Unitarian  Convention  here  this  fall.  .  .  .  Dr.  Osgood  is 
hard  at  work  on  Eothe.  I  keep  on  our  old  Trinitarian  plat- 
form to  which  Dr.  B.  has  not  yet  attained. 

Many  thanks  for  the  volume  of  Ueberweg  duly  received  from 
you  through  the  State  Department.  I  shall  have  to  revise  my 
theory  of  that  "  department ;  "  philosophy,  it  seems,  comes 
through  it :  the  vision  of  Plato  may  yet  be  realized.  I  have  got 
a  good  scholar,  Morris,  just  back  from  Germany,  at  work  on 
the  translation  of  Ueberweg,  which  I  hope  to  get  all  out  this 
winter. 

We  are  all  glad  and  proud  of  your  diplomatic  success. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Sprague: 

New  York,  November  20,  1868. 

I  send  you  by  express  a  package,  chiefly  of  MSS.,  undoubted 
originals,  most  of  them  in  the  state  in  which  they  come  from 
the  printer.  Some  of  them  have  a  historical  value  in  connection 
with  our  present  Presbyterian  discussions,  e.  g.,  Stearns,  Hat- 
field, etc.  The  MS.  of  Mr.  Barnes  is  one  of  the  latest  long  MSS. 
which  he  has  been  able  himself  to  write.  I  do  not  send  you  a 
sermon,  but  an  article  of  my  own,  one  (pardon  me  for  saying  so) 
which  I  like,  and  which  Mr.  Mill  has  done  me  the  honor  to  re- 
ply to  in  a  recent  edition  of  his  work  :  on  which  reply  please  see 
my  rejoinder  in  the  July  number  of  my  Revieto,  page  389.  I 
am  hoping  to  receive  an  article  from  yourself  for  my  January 
number.     I  should  value  it  exceedingly. 

From  Dr.  Sprague : 

"Albany,  November  23,  1868. 

<'How  shall  I  thank  you  for  the  great  variety  of  manuscripts, 
pamphlets,  and  books  which  your  kindness  has  showered  upon 
me.  I  value  them  all  greatly,  and  shall  take  care  that  they  are 
preserved,  not  merely  or  chiefly  for  my  gratification,  but  for  the 
benefit  of  posterity.  My  experience  is  that  most  people  do  less 
for  me  in  this  way  than  they  promise.  You  have  done  a  great 
deal  more. " 


New   York.  291 

To  Hon.  George  Bancroft : 

New  York,  November  37,  1868.  ) 
Day  after  Thanksgiving.  ) 

I  am  reminded  every  week  of  yourself  and  your  kindness  by 
receiving  the  Lit.  Centraiblatt,  in  every  number  of  which  I  find 
something  to  use. 

Last  Sunday  evening  I  attended '*  vespers  "  at  the  "Church 
of  the  Messiah," — not  a  Jewish  Synagogue,  and  heard  our  friend, 
Dr.  Osgood,  on  Schleiermacher  and  other  matters,  among  the 
latter — yourself — and  (minor  mode)  myself.* 

Dr.  Bellows  also  officiated.  Dr.  0.  was  full  of  his  matter,  and 
told  a  large  congregation  about  the  great  apostles  of  the  re- 
vival of  evangelical  religion  fifty  years  ago  in  Germany,  under  the 
influence  of  the  *'  Reden  iiber  die  Religion,"  which  exalted 
Spinoza  so  highly.  It  was  well  done,  and  a  fitting  service.  Dr.  0. 
is  to  write  for  my  Revieiv  a  notice  of  Rothe's  ''  Theol.  Ethics." 

We  are  trying  to  organize  an  "American  Institute  of  Letters, 
Sciences,  and  Art."  There  is  to  be  an  "  Academy  of  the  Meta- 
physical and  Moral  Sciences,"  of  which  you  are  invited  to  be  a 
member.  What  we  now  lack  is  means,  money,  and  a  building  :  f 
there  is  quite  enough  of  fermentation,  but  the  solids  carry  the 
day. 

Prof.  N.  Porter,  of  New  Haven,  has  just  published  a  work  on 
the '' Human  Intellect,"  seven  hundred  pages  (Scribner), — the 
most  noticeable  metaphysical  work  here,  since  Hickok's  "Ra- 
tional Psychology."  He  makes  large  use,  and  rightfully,  of 
Trendelenberg's  works,  especially  his  "Logische  Untersuch- 
ungen." 

The  political  ferment  has  subsided.     Grant  has  nothing  to 

*  "It  has  seemed  that  our  scholar's  Protestant  Catholicity  has  been  at 
work  in  the  reconciliation  of  the  Old  and  New  School  Presbyterians,  and 
that  the  mantle  of  his  evangelical  charity  and  wisdom,  without  his  specula- 
tive laxity,  has  fallen  upon  the  leading  Presbyterian  scholar  of  America, 
Henry  B.  Smith,  in  his  work  of  peace." 

f  Prof.  Smith  spent  much  time  and  labor  in  the  organization  of  the  De- 
partment of  Metaphysical  and  Moral  Sciences  in  the  proposed  National 
Academy.  Mr.  George  Ripley  and  himself  were  the  sub-committee,  and  Mr. 
Richard  Grant  White  was  chairman  of  the  whole  committee.  For  lack  of 
the  requisites  mentioned  in  the  text,  the  project  failed. 


292  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

say — a  rare  gift  among  politicians.  New  York  politics  and 
railroads  are  fearfully  corrupt,  of  course.  We  live  here  in  an  Irish 
city.  Our  officers  are  Irish,  thus  :  Sheriff,  Eegister,  Comptroller, 
City  Chamberlain,  Corporation  Counsel,  President  of  Board  of 
Aldermen  and  of  Board  of  Councilmen,  Clerks  of  both  Boards, 
all  the  Civil  Justices,  and  of  the  Police  Justices  all  but  two,  all 
of  the  Clerks  of  Police  Courts,  three  out  of  four  Coroners,  two 
M.  C.'s,  three  in  five  State  Senators,  eighteen  out  of  twenty-one 
Members  of  State  Assembly,  fourteen  out  of  nineteen  Members 
of  Common  Council,  eight  of  the  ten  Supervisors.  This  makes 
our  city  cosmopolitan. 

The  "Evangelical  Alliance"  will  meet  here  October,  1869. 
We  mean  to  make  of  it  a  demonstration  of  Protestant  unity. 

H.  B.  Smith. 

From  Prof.  Francis  Lieber,  LL.D. : 

"  New  York,  December  3,  1868. 

**Mt  dearFkiend  aitd  DoiiT  Calvinista  !  Read,  reflect  and 
answer,  as  soon  as  may  be — i.  e.,  at  once. 

"  My  lecture  on  Rights  is  a  crack  lecture,  however  little  a 
crack  lecture  of  mine  may  be.  In  it  I  have  to  say  that :  Every 
right  implies  a  corresponding  duty,  and  vice  versd,  not  as 
corollaries,  as  completion  of  the  first  idea,  but  as  inter-comple- 
mentary. 

"  Paley  says  that  every  right  indicates  a  duty  in  some  one  to 
obey  it,  and  that  is  the  corollary  of  right  (jus).  I  say,  right 
being  a  moral  (ethical)  claim,  it  carries  along  with  it  the  idea  of 
obligation  in  the  claimant.  There  is  no  such  thing  in  reason 
as  an  absolute  right,  i.  e.,  a  claim  without  its  twin-born  obliga- 
tion. Possibly,  it  is  the  most  important  idea  in  political  philos- 
ophy, and  its  neglect  one  of  the  chief  calamities  of  the  present 
period.  I  have  called  the  two  ideas,  long  ago,  in  my  first  inaug- 
ural, in  New  York  (1857),  the  Castor  and  Pollux  flames  in  the 
Mediterranean.  Let  that  be.  I  write  to  ask  you,  'cute  philoso- 
pher that  you  are,  whether  you  know  a  better  term  for  my  idea 
than  inter-relative,  inter-complementary  being  too — well,  hepta- 
syllabic.  But  inter-relative  is  not  clinching  enough  for  me, 
not  complete  enough.  • 


New   York.  293 

''Don't,  I  pray!  I  know  you  think  at  this  moment  of  the 
Siamese  twins,  and  that  is  disgusting  to  me,  when  I  am  so 
serious. 

"I  use  the  word  inter -dependent  so  often  in  political  philoso- 
phy, applied  to  men,  that  I  would  not  use  it  in  this  ease.  Recip- 
rocal I  do  not  like.  A  word,  a  word  !  Six  kingdoms  and  the 
Spanish  crown  for  a  word  !  AVith  a  pennyweight  of  German 
principality ! 

"This  moment  I  saw  a  sermon  of  Beecher's  advertised,  'The 
American  Family.'  American  family  !  I  used  to  tell  the  peo- 
ple in  the  South  that,  if  they  went  on,  they  must  come  to  the 
invention  of  American  mathematics,  and  the  proclamation  of 
an  American  God 

"Ergo,  respond, 

"Feakcis  Lieber. 

"Why  have  you  not  in  your  prim  dictionary-language  a  word 
Geminalf  My  idea  is  best  expressed  in  that  magical  expression. 
Double  Star  :  two  stars  turning  around  each  other  and  making 
one  double  star.  F.  L. 

"Some  one,  long  ago,  must  have  hit  upon  the  same  general 
idea  of  Geminal  ideas.  How  did  that  some  one  call  it  ?  Binate 
does  not  indicate  the  inter-complementary." 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Sprague : 

New  Yokk,  October  19,  1868. 

I  have  for  a  long  time  been  meaning  to  tell  you  how  much  we 
are  all  gratified  with  your  Discourse  on  Dr.  Allen  as  now  pub- 
lished. It  is  a  worthy  memorial  of  him,  which  we  shall  all 
cherish.  I  am  making  some  collections  for  your  MS.  store, 
and  will  send  them  by-and-by,  when  completed.  I  have  for 
you  a  MS.  sermon  of  Dr.  Asa  Cummings,  of  Portland,  etc. 

But  my  special  object  in  writing  is  to  ask  if  you  will  send  me 
an  article  for  the  January  number  of  my  Review  (of  which  I 
send  the  October  number)  on  some  point  of  Presbyterian  his- 
tory, or  biography.     I  should  value  it  highly. 

With  the  next  year,  the  Revieio  will  be  much  enlarged  and 
improved,  and  I  am  anxious  to  get  contributions  fi  om  your 
"  branch  "  of  our  church. 


294  Henry  Boynton  Si7tith. 

To  the  same : 

December  3,  1868. 

Just  conceive  my  dismay,  when  I  saw,  piled  on  the  table  of 
our  library,  that  formidable  heap  of  pamphlets;  for  you  must 
know  I  am  librarian  here,  and  must  see  to  having  them  cata- 
logued! Keally,  you  have  been  most  liberal  to  us,  and  I  thank 
you  now  in  the  name  of  the  faculty,  and  will  send  you,  by-and- 
by,  a  more  formal  acknowledgment  in 'behalf  of  our  board  of 
directors.  I  write  before  having  time  to  look  over  the  collec- 
tion ;  but  it  must  be  invaluable.  The  special  package  you  sent 
me  I  shall  cherish  with  unusual  pleasure,  because  they  are  your 
writings,  and  a  gift  from  yourself.  Your  honor,  as  a  contribu- 
tor in  such  an  unsurpassed  degree  to  our  American  church  his- 
tory, and  to  American  biography,  will  surely  grow  as  the  years 
pass  by,  and  be  greater  in  the  next  generation  than  even  now. 
Your  wishes  about  any  (or,  no)  publication  of  the  fact  of  this 
donation  to  our  seminary,  shall  be  scrupulously  respected,  much 
as  we  may  wish  to  tell  of  it.  From  the  library  of  the  late  Dr. 
John  Marsh  we  have  also  just  received  quite  a  collection  of 
pamphlets,  among  others,  over  twenty  eulogies  pronounced  on 
occasion  of  the  decease  of  George  Washington. 

To  the  same : 

December  23.  1868. 

I  thank  you  very  much  for — yourself.  It  is  excellent,  in  re- 
pose ;  I  assure  you  I  value  it.  Your  admirable  donation  to  our 
library  is  fully  appreciated.  It  is  so  well  arranged,  too.  Dr. 
Gillett  has  looked  it  over,  and,  as  becomes  such  an  enthusiastic 
collector  of  pamphlets,  gets  warm  over  it.  Our  board  has  not 
yet  met ;  so  please  take  this  expression  of  the  mind  of  the  faculty 
and  librarian,  as  interimistic. 

Our  Academy  was  organized  with  good  prospects  last 
night. 

I  have  procured  for  you  from  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Prentiss  a  MS. 
sermon  of  Dr.  Edward  Payson,  quite  an  early  one,  1818.  Most 
of  his  MSS.  have  been  very  much  scattered ;  very  many  were 
consumed  in  the  great  Portland  fire. 

During  the  autumn  he  was  in  feeble  health,  some- 


New   York. 


295 


times  suffering  murh,  so  that  lie  was  obliged  to  absent 
himself  repeatedly  from  tlie  seminary,  and  from  the 
meetings  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance.  But  at  home  he 
was  still  busy,  writing  various  articles  for  the  press, 
chieiiy  on  Reunion. 

On  December  30th  he  went  to  Northampton  for  rest 
and  change.  There  he  enjoyed  "the  sleigh-rides  and 
the  splendid  winter-scenes."  Feeble  as  he  was,  he  as- 
sisted in  officiating  at  the  communion  service,  on  San- 
day,  and  returned  home  the  next  day,  unrefreshed. 
Business  and  many  letters  awaited  him,  and  the  tidings 
of  the  death  of  his  valued  friend  of  many  years,  Mrs. 
Stearns,  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  F.  Stearns,  D.D.,  of  New- 
ark, and  the  sister  of  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss :  and  a  request 
had  been  sent  that  he  should  make  one  of  the  addresses 
at  the  funeral  on  Wednesday.  He  endeavored  to  pre- 
pare himself  for  this.  Late  on  Tuesday  night,  he  was 
found  at  his  desk,  alarmingly  haggard  and  ill,  still  forc- 
ing himself  to  the  attempt.  On  Wednesday  morning  he 
rose,  still  intending  to  go  to  Newark,  against  the  protest 
of  his  family  ;  but,  after  a  turn  of  faintness,  he  was  per- 
suaded to  go  to  his  bed,  and  allow  his  j^hysician  to  be 
sent  for. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  time  of  utter  prostration, 
yet  it  was  rather  a  crisis  than  a  new  condition.  His  in- 
cessant, manifold  labors  had  long  been  undermining  his 
never  finn  health  ;  his  sleep  had  been  uncertain,  his 
nervous  system  impaired,  and  the  seasons  of  feverish 
pain,  to  which  he  had  long  been  subject,  had  become 
more  frequent  and  exhausting. 

Even  now  he  gave  himself  little  rest  His  diary  gives 
an  appalling  record  of  the  demands  upon  him — matters 
in  connection  with  the  Beniew,  Reunion  and  the  Evan- 
gelical Alliance ;  letters  written,  and  manuscripts  read, 
discussions  and  library  work.  He  was  cataloguing,  at 
home,  two  large  collections  of  pamphlets  just  given  to 
the  seminary.     Several  times  during  these  weeks  he  in- 


296  He7iry  Boynton  Smith. 

sisted  upon  giving  his  lecture  to  his  students,  but  it  was 
done  with  painful  effort  and  subsequent  exhaustion. 
There  were  times  when  he  was  so  prostrated  that  he  felt 
doubtful  of  his  recovery  ;  he  even  expressed  his  wishes 
in  regard  to  his  funeral  services. 

One  day,  when  walking  with  his  son,  he  said  that 
when  Reunion  and  the  Evangelical  Alliance  were  ac- 
complished, he  should  feel  that  his  work  was  done. 
"This  Reunion  !  "  he  said  at  another  time,  "it  has  been 
my  one  aim;"  and  he  quoted,  emphatically,  from  a 
poem  by  William  Blake,  which  he  had  previously 
brought  to  be  copied,  as  "  one  of  the  finest  things  which 
had  been  said  in  English  for  years  " : 

*'  I  will  not  give  mine  eyelids  sleep, 

Nor  shall  my  sword  rest  in  my  hand, 
Till  we  have  built  Jerusalem, 
In  England's  green  and  pleasant  land." 

Early  in  January,  1869,  he  received  a  letter  from  Rev. 
S.  I.  Prime,  D.D.,  informing  him  that,  at  a  meeting  of 
the  American  branch  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  he 
had  been  appointed  "by  acclamation"  to  go  to  Europe 
as  their  representative,  for  the  purpose  of  making  ar- 
rangements for  the  expected  General  Conference  in  New 
York,  the  following  October,  a  chief  object  being  to  se- 
cure the  best  representative  men  from  different  coun- 
tries. Later  came  the  request  from  the  committee  that 
he  should  go  at  once. 

This  was  urged  peremptorily  by  his  physicians,  and 
strongly  by  his  friends,  whose  munificent  kindness 
opened  the  way.*    He  consented  reluctantly,  clinging 


*  A  few  days  before  sailing  he  received  a  most  kind  letter  from  Mr.  D. 
Willis  James,  one  of  the  directors  of  the  seminary,  informing  him  that  the 
sum  of  four  thousand  dollars  had  been  deposited  to  his  credit  with  Brown 
Brothers  &  Co.,  and  begging  him  to  accept  it  as  a  token  of  the  love  and 
esteem  of  his  friends,  and  the  friends  of  the  seminary. 


New   York. 


297 


to  home  as  the  best  place  for  a  weary  invalid,  and  to 
work  almost  as  to  life  itself. 

The  students  of  the  seminary  sent  him  the  following 
letter : 

"Union  Theological  Seminary,  February  25,  1809. 

"  Dear  Doctor  :  We  learn  with  deep  regret  that  the  pleas- 
ant and  profitable  relations  hitherto  existing  between  you  and 
us  must  for  a  time  be  dissolved.  We  should  have  been  glad  to 
have  been  able,  each  one  of  us,  to  see  you,  and  express  our  deep 
sense  of  what  we  owe  you  personally,  and  our  sympathy  with 
you  in  your  suffering.  We  have  been  under  your  instruction  a 
sufficient  time  to  have  learned  something  of  your  own  system 
and  of  yourself.  We  have  been  led  along  by  you  clearly,  in 
paths  which  are  so  often  difficult  and  unsatisfactory.  We  have 
found  you  in  the  midst  of  conflicting  views,  taking  a  media  via, 
gathering  from  each  side  the  truths,  and  establishing  a  system 
honest  and  pure,  which  tended  to  unite  all,  and  lift  all  into  a 
closer  communion  with  God,  and  a  clearer  appreciation  of  Him 
and  His  relations  to  us.  The  advance  of  each  day  has  unfolded 
more  and  more  the  beauty  of  your  plan,  and  quickened  our  inter- 
est. Others  have  made  religion  yield  to  philosophy.  You  have 
shown  to  us  that  there  is  no  real  conflict  between  them.  The 
highest  philosophy  rightly  promotes  religion.  The  personal 
contact  has  inspired  us  all  with  the  deepest  regard,  and  beyond  all 
selfish  regret  on  account  of  our  loss  of  your  instruction  and  your 
inspiration,  is  our  feeling  at  your  suffering.  Therefore,  although 
recognizing  your  full  importance  here  at  present,  and  the  things 
that  may  miscarry  and  suffer  on  account  of  your  absence,  we 
yet  most  heartily  unite  in  urging  you  to  go,  believing  that  the 
future  with  its  years  will  have  more  need  of  your  life  and 
strength  than  the  present.  Hitherto  we  have  been  near  to- 
gether and  able  to  make  inquiries  concerning  you,  and  have  re- 
joiced at  every  symptom  of  returning  health  and  strength. 

"Now  it  becomes  necessary  to  part  from  you,  knowing  that 
weeks  may  elapse  ere  we  hear  from  you,  and  we  can  only  com- 
mend you  from  our  hearts  to  the  kind  Father  of  us  all.  And  so 
with  your  going  we  send  our  warmest  wishes  and  prayers  for 
safety  on  the  sea,  for  restoration  of  health  and  strength  through 


298  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

this  rest  from  your  too  great  labors,  and  a  speedy  return  to  those 

who  know  and  love  you. 

^         -.i.     •  (  S.  F,  Gale,  Senior  Class, 

Committee  m  \  ^  ^      '  ^^-  -,   ^, 

1   ^    !£    £  J-^     ni  i  Lewis  Lampman,  Mid.  Class, 

behalf  of  the  Classes,     J  ^  _,   ^  t     ■      ^/ 

[  Edwin  R.  Lewis,  Junior  Class. 

His  solicitude  about  Reunion  continued  to  the  mo- 
ment of  embarking.     He  wrote  to  Dr.  Stearns  : 

I  ought  to  be  in  bed,  but  I  can't  help  saying  to  you  how 
much  I  like  your  article  in  the  Evangelist.  Keep  this  Reunion 
matter  in  your  hands.     I  shall  write  the  editors  about  it.    .    .    . 

Stearns  !  I  have  got  to  go  off ;  I  am  worn  and  wearied,  taking 
life  hardly — often  wishing  rather  for  death.  But  I  want  you  to 
know  how  much  I  love  and  honor  you  ;  what  profound  esteem  I 
had  for  your  wife,  and  how  much  I  feel  for  you  in  your  loneli- 
ness ;  how  much  I  thank  you  for  all  you  have  been  to  and  done 
for  me — much  more  than  you  will  ever  fully  know. 

February  23. — Wednesday  morning,  two-and-a-half  o'clock  in 

the  morning.      To-morrow,  dear,  dear  mother,  we  sail,  E 

and  W and  1.    Our  friends  have  been  most  generous,    .    .    . 

I  am  getting  along  slowly,  still  weak,  but  only  one  day  remains 
between  me  and  the  ship. 

I  enclose  for  the  Payson   Memorial   Church,  which   I 

promised  a  year  ago.     .     .     . 

The  following  note  was  written  at  tbis  time : 

"New  York,  February  26,  1869. 

*'  Deae  De.  Peentiss  :  Many  thanks  for  your  prompt  atten- 
tion to  my  message  to  our  dear  Professor  Smith.  I  value  his 
parting  remembrance  exceedingly,  and  circumstances  which  I 
dread  to  contemplate  may  give  it  a  preciousness  belonging  only 
to  dying  bequests.  I  shall  earnestly  pray  for  his  safe  return,  for 
who  could  take  his  place  in  the  world  of  philosophic  thought 
and  catholic  sympathies,  and  personal  sweetness  mingled  with 
intellectual  power  and  grasp  ?    .     .     . 

"  With  the  most  cordial  and  fraternal  regards, 

"  Yours  truly, 

''H.  W.  Bellows." 


New   York,  299 

Accompanied  by  liis  wife  and  son,  in  Ms  extreme  fee- 
bleness, lie  sailed,  on  the  twenty- fourth  of  February, 
for  Southampton.  As  before,  in  his  youth,  the  friends 
whom  he  left — some  of  them  the  same  friends — doubted 
whether  they  should  see  his  face  again  ;  doubted,  even, 
whether  he  w^ould  live  to  cross  the  ocean.  So  deep  and 
widely-felt  was  the  solicitude  on  his  account,  that  it 
might  almost  have  been  said  of  him,  as  of  the  Apostle, 
that  "  prayer  was  made  without  ceasing  of  the  church 
unto  God  for  him." 


300  Henry  Boynton  Smith, 


CHAPTER  XI. 

EUEOPE  AND  THE  EAST. — 1869-1870. 

The  prayers  were  answered.  The  voyage,  for  which 
many  comforts  had  been  provided  by  the  thought- 
ful kindness  of  his  friends,  was  unusually  prosperous. 
After  days  and  nights  of  utter  prostration  and  weari- 
ness,— the  first  night  without  a  wink  of  sleep — he  began 
to  rally,  and  before  the  voyage  ended  he  was  able  to  sit 
on  deck  in  an  extension-chair,  and  even  to  walk  a  little. 
The  sea-air  gave  him  new  life. 

He  crossed  directly  from  Southampton  to  Paris.  The 
weather  was  cold  and  cheerless,  and  he  attempted  too 
much,  so  that  he  gained  nothing  while  there.  At  the 
end  of  a  miserable  week,  he  left  Paris  in  a  snow-storm  at 
midnight,  and  the  next  day  was  at  Hyeres,  among  roses 
and  palm-trees,  in  the  balmy  air  of  the  Mediterranean 
coast. 

His  own  letters  will  best  tell  the  story  of  his  subse- 
quent journeyings. 

Nice,  Easter  Sunday,  March  28,  1869. 

My  dearest  Mother  :  This  is  the  first  letter  which  I  have 
written  since  I  left  home ;  and  it  belongs  to  you  of  right.  E. 
wrote  you  from  Southampton,  I  think.  We  passed  a  week  in 
Paris,  but  it  was  chilly  there,  three  falls  of  snow  in  the  week, 
slight  but  significant — '*triste"  as  the  French  say;  and  so  we 
packed  up  and  went  to  Hyeres,  near  Marseilles,  on  the  south  line 
of  France — and  came  ujDon  June  (with  occasional  variations), — 
a  beautiful  place,  trees  in  bloom,  oranges  ripe,  early  vegetables, 
for  the  most  part  bright  and  sunny.     Next  (last  Thursday)  we 


Europe  and  the  East.  301 

came  to  Nice,  which  is  too  much  like  a  little  Paris  to  suit  us  ; 
and  on  Tuesday  next,  we  take  the  steamer  for  Genoa,  Leghorn 
and  Naples,  expecting  to  be  in  Rome  in  about  ten  days,  and  to 
spend  about  three  weeks  there.  M.  Pilatte  here  has  been  very 
friendly  to  me.  He  wants  me  to  go  to  the  meeting  of  the  Synod 
of  the  Waldenses,  the  third  Wednesday  in  May,  and  I  shall  try 
to  do  so,  and  get  into  Switzerland  some  time  in  June.  As  to 
myself,  I  am  slowly  creeping  out  into  the  light  and  air.  I  have 
recovered  from  my  extreme  feebleness  and  depression,  though 
the  recovery  is  intermittent.  I  sleep  better  and  I  can  walk  two 
or  three  miles  at  a  time.  Appetite  good,  but  I  cannot  yet  do  or 
bear  much.  This  letter  is  the  most  that  I  have  as  yet  done  at 
any  one  time. 

Dear  mother,  I  know  you  pray  for  me  every  day.  May  God 
ever  bless  you  and  let  me  see  you  yet  again  and  often. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss : 

Rome,  April  13,  1869. 

My  dear  George  :  I  am  just  back  from  seeing  the  last  sup- 
port of  the  "  temporal  sovereignty  "  of  the  Roman  See,  i.  e. 
twenty-five  thousand  soldiers  marching  through  all  the  streets 
at  quick  pace,  with  stirring  music,  but  with  absolute  silence  on 
the  part  of  the  people— no  cheers,  rather  scowls,  or  mere  curi- 
osity. This  is  the  last  day  of  these  festivities  (the  illuminating 
having  been  all  deferred  till  now  on  account  of  the  weather) ; 
Pius  IX.  celebrates  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  saying  mass. 
This  evening  is  to  be  a  grand  illumination  (presided  over  by  the 
police).  And  Rome  ends  this  'Hioly  "  fortnight  (for  so  it  has 
this  year  been)  by  three  days  of  fireworks  and  skyrockets,  and 
splendid  emblazonry  in  tallow  candles  of  the  papacy  and  of  Pius; 
and  it  is  as  good  a  play  as  need  be  acted  out  to  show  on  what 
Rome  depends,— amusement  for  the  populace,  and  guns  and  can- 
non for  those  who  love  Italy  better  than  Rome.  And  this  gay 
soldiery  marches  all  day,  up  and  down,  through  all  the  main 
arteries,  one  soldier  to  every  six  persons  in  the  city,  guns,  howit- 
zers, cavalry — a  pageant  with  a  moral.  Meanwhile  Pius  IX. 
blesses  tiie  people,  with  his  benignant  look,  and  the  priests  look 
pleased  as  the  trained  bands  march  by  ;  and  everybody  else  sees 
what  the  end  must  be.     The  moral  power  of  the  papacy  is  gone 


302  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

here  in  Italy ;  hired  soldiers  and  the  French  reserve  keep  up 
this  stupendous  fraud  upon  the  reason  and  conscience  of  man- 
kind. If  anybody  you  know  of  has  any  tendencies  toward 
Rome,  and  any  spark  of  real  Christian  feeling  left,  send  him 
here  to  spend  the  Holy  Week.  By  the  way,  I  wish  you  were 
here,  not  on  the  above  account,  but  because  an  hour  with  you 
would  do  me  a  world  of  good.  Your  letter  reached  us  here  (we 
coming  from  Naples)  two  days  ago. 

Next  day. — The  lights  are  put  out,  the  curtain  is  dropped,  the 
play  is  ended — for  this  year.  The  notable  actors  have  with- 
drawn to  their  wonted  routine.  The  curious  and  gaping  crowd 
is  fast  dispersing  ;  this  travesty  of  the  Holy  Passion,  this  execra- 
ble imitation  of  it  (like  an  ape  to  a  man)  is  over.  It  ended 
last  night  in  a  general  illumination  of  the  city;  certainly  the 
most  beautiful  and  brilliant  of  any  in  Christendom,  Avhich  was 
not  like  anything  in  the  New  Testament.  "We  drove  all  round, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gould,  who  have  been  very  kind,  taking  us  in 
their  carriage,  and  saw  old  and  new  Rome,  old  Rome  Christian- 
ized or  new  Rome  paganized,  in  the  brightest  hues.  As  for 
myself,  George,  I  am  slowly  gaining,  doing  as  well  as  could  be 
expected,  having  every  other  night  or  so,  snatches  of  true  sleep  ; 
but  I  am  working  up  from  the  roots,  the  process  is  slow  and 
painful.  I  have  been  stranded  and  am  just  creeping  and  stag- 
gering toward  the  green  fields  and  the  blue  skies,  with  glimpses 
now  and  then  of  a  better  land  beyond  and  above.  God  willing, 
I  hope  to  Avork  through  ;  if  not,  it  is  all  well  and  right.  It  is  a 
great  comfort  to  me  that  our  church  prays  for  me  ;  I  love  it  and 
pray  for  it.  May  the  Lord  make  you  strong  for  your  work. 
Best  love  to  your  wife  and  children  and  Stearns  and  Chi  Alpha.* 

Rome,  April  15,  1869. 

Mt  dearest  Mother  :  Your  first  letter  reached  me  here,  and 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  the  very  sight  of  the  address  made  me 
more  glad  than  all  the  splendors  (contrasted  with  the  squalors) 

*"Chi  Alpha" — "Christian  Brothers,"  an  association  of  clergymen,  of 
New  York  and  Brooklyn,  which,  for  more  than  half  a  century,  has  met  on 
Saturday  evenings,  for  Christian  intercourse  and  the  confidential  discus- 
sion of  questions  bearing  upon  their  ministerial  work  and  culture. 


Europe  and  the  East.  303 

of  this  Eternal  City.  I  would  much  rather  be  on  the  lounge  in 
your  dining-room  than  on  any  resting-place  here  ;  and  I  would 
much  rather  luive  your  blessing  than  that  of  Pius  IX.,  so  liber- 
ally dispensed  with  his  soft  and  pious  hand  during  the  Holy 
Week.  Since  I  wrote  you  we  have  been  a  week  in  Naples,  and 
a  few  days  here.  ...  A  visit  to  Rome,  just  now,  is  the 
best  prescription  for  Ritualists  and  Roraanizers  ;  it  is  the  veriest 
caricature  of  Christianity.  ...  On  the  whole,  I  am  gain- 
ing, week  by  week,  though  slowly.  Next  week  we  go  to  Flor- 
ence. In  May  we  sluill  be  among  the  Waldenses,  I  hope  ;  and 
in  June  in  Switzerland.  "We  find  kind  friends  and  some  New 
York  acquaintances  here.  ...  Do  not  grieve  for  me,  dear 
mother  ;  I  am  doing  well,  on  the  whole,  though  I  am  not  san- 
guine. I  think  I  can  truly  say,  the  Lord's  will  be  done.  .  .  . 
Sometimes  I  think  that  Cumberland  Fore-side  would  be  better 
than  all  this. 

La.  Tour,  Italy,  May  25,  1869. 

My  deakest  Mother  :  Here  among  the  Waldenses  I  am  find- 
ing quiet  (especially  as  it  is  just  now  raining  furiously)  and  good 
air,  eggs,  milk,  cream,  a  simple  diet,  great  chances  for  out-of- 
door  life,  which  I  improve  tolerably,  and  few  chances  or  temp- 
tations for  doing  much  more  than  eating,  sleeping,  walking,  etc. 
It  is  very  pleasant  here.  From  one  of  my  Avindows  I  look  out 
on  Castaluz,  where  was  the  terrible  Waldensian  massacre  two 
hundred  years  ago.  A  rocky,  foaming  stream,  the  Pellice, 
rushes  through  the  valley,  joined  just  down  here  by  another, 
the  Angrogne.  All  around  are  the  mountains  and  valleys  of  this 
secluded  race,  which  so  long  kept  up  the  pure  tradition  of  the 
Christian  faith.  I  got  here  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  annual 
Synod,  and  was  able  to  say  a  few  words  [in  French].  Several 
English  and  Scotch  ministers  and  families  are  staying  here. 
We  have  a  nice  boarding-place,  with  a  very  motherly  sort  of  a 
hostess,  and  are  living  more  as  we  ought  to,  I  suppose,  though 
it  seems  very  lazy,  flat  and  unprofitable.  .  .  .  Your  second 
letter  we  received  at  Florence,  where  we  spent  a  week.  .  .  . 
Venice  I  found  charming,  no  sound  of  wheels,  no  dust,  every 
thing  after  its  own  kind.  You  just  get  into  a  gondola  and  float 
about.     ...    As  for  myself,  dear  mother,  I  am  better,  slowly 


304  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

— sometimes  I  think  very  slowly — mending  ;  not  good  for  much. 
The  days  and  hours  and  nights  are  just  aI)out  twice  as  long  as 
they  used  to  be.     ,     •    .    Dear  mother,  I  want  to  see  you  again. 

To  Mr.  C.  W.  Woolsey  : 

La  Tour,  Piedmont,  June  11,  1869. 

My  dear  Charles  :  Your  letter  written  May  27th,  post- 
marked New  York,  May  39th,  arrived  here,  via  Paris,  this  morn- 
ing, and  I  answer  at  once,  partly  in  order  to  see  how  long  a  time 
it  takes  to  exchange  epistles,  and  partly  to  tell  you  how  glad  I 

was  to  hear  from  and  of  you, "s  hoeing  and  little  Rowland's 

farming.  We  quite  long  to  see  you  in  your  new  house,  and 
meanwhile  imagine  all  about  it.  What  would  we  not  give,  way 
off  here  in  the  old  Vaudois  valleys,  to  see  some  of  your  dear 
home  faces,  but  if  God  so  pleases,  this,  too,  will  be  in  due  time. 
We  have  been  here  near  three  weeks,  and  may  stay  three  more, 
if  all  goes  as  well  as  till  now.  I  feel  really  better,  e.  g.,  day  be- 
fore yesterday,  in  company  with  Pastor  Malan  (of  this  com- 
mune), etc.,  I  mounted  three  thousand  feet  (taking  four  hours 
for  it,  and  three  for  coming  back),  and  was  able  to  get  about 
comfortably  the  next  day.  If  my  head  were  in  as  good  order  as 
my  legs,  I  should  be  for  coming  home  right  off. 

The  hints  and  glimpses  you  give  us  of  your  home  are  quite  tan- 
talizing. I  am  so  happy  in  the  thought  that  you  and  Z.  have  a 
home  you  like  and  will  care  for,  and  that  dear  little  H.  is  flourish- 
ing. We  see  you  all  every  day,  and  pray  for  your  health  and  happi. 
ness.  May  God  bless  you  !  I  am  quite  enjoying  the  Waldensian 
valleys.  They  are  charming,  and  tlie  people  are  simple,  earnest 
and  pious.  Two  or  three  months  would  hardly  exhaust  all  there 
is  to  be  seen  ;  through  four  or  five  valleys  the  scenes  are  charm- 
ing and  various.  I  have  gained  more  sensibly  than  at  any  pre- 
vious point. 

La  Tour,  July  13,  1869. 

My  dear  C.  AiTD  Z.  :  I  think  the  heat  of  these  last  few  days 
here  must  be  quite  equal  to  yours,  though  tempered  by  cool 
nights  from  the  hills,  but  to-morrow  we  leave  fpr  the  glaciers 
of  Zermatt,  Eggischorn,  etc.  The  theory  now  is  that  glacial  air 
is  the  best  for  shattered  nerves.  It  is  not  enough  to  be  in  a  high 
valley,  it  must  be  a  valley  swept  by  air  from  tlie  glaciers.     After 


Europe  and  the  East.  305 

that  I  am  to  go  to  St.  Moritz  for  the  springs,  where  ^ve  hope  to 

meet  Dr.  Scliaff,  Dr.  Park,  W ,  the  Hopkinscs,  Ilowhmds,  etc. 

We  long,  long  to  see  you  all  again.  I  cannot  yet  fix  the  time 
of  our  return.  If  Prof.  Hitchcock  is  not  well,  I  must  make 
haste  and  go  back.  On  the  whole  I  am  improving,  getting  quite 
brown  and  walking  six  or  eight  hours  a  day. 

June  17,  1869. 

My  dear  George  :  Dorset  is  not  half  as  fine  as  La  Tour,  and 
you  could  build  a  splendid  house  here  for  $5,000.  We  have  now 
been  here  four  weeks  and  more,  and  mean  to  stay  on  as  long  as 
it  is  cool  enough,  and  then  over  St.  Bernard.  I  am  better  in  a 
general  way — stronger,  sleepier,  and  improving  from  week  to 
week.  I  hope  to  be  well  enough  to  come  back  in  early  autumn. 
What  a  grand  time  you  must  have  had  with  the  Assembly,  and 
how  well  things  are  done  up.  I  received  your  Tribune  just  before 
your  letter,  and  have  been  in  quite  an  exalted  state  ever  since. 
This  reunion  will  be  welcomed  all  over  Protestant  Europe  with 
great  delight,  and  will  give  new  hopes  to  all  the  friends  of  lib- 
erty in  both  Church  and  State.  It  is  a  good  thing,  well-done, 
and  'tis  only  the  beginning.  Dr.  Guthrie  (when  here)  was  quite 
anxious  about  the  reunion  in  America  as  Avell  as  in  Scotland  ;  he 
gives  up  the  whole  union  of  Church  and  State.  I  like  the  Vau- 
dois  here  (in  spite  of  defects  and  limitations);  they  have  a  great 
work  to  do,  and  are  doing  the  best  and  all  they  can.     'Tis  a  pity 

our  American  evangelists,  like ,  should  get  into  difiiculties 

and  disputes  with  the  Waldenses.     Love  to  your  wife,  A.,  and 
all.     How  I  should  love  to  see  you  !     God  bless  you  ! 
Most  affectionately  yours, 

H.  B.  Smith. 

You  have  heard  of  Hengstenberg's  death — worn  out. 

La  Tour,  June  22,  1869. 

My  dearest  M.  :  It  is  just  perfect  weather  here  to-day,  and 
we  are  going  to  take  a  long  walk  this  afternoon  among  the  hills, 
and  by  the  streams,  which  are  innumerable,  and  only  wish  that 

you  were  here  to  go  with  us,  and  little  H too,  for,  I  fancy,  he 

can  walk  fully  as  far  as  I  can.     Every  day,  every  hour,  we  have 
some  loving  thoughts  of  you   dear  ones  at  home,  and  such  a 
20 


3o6  Henry  Boynton  Sjnith. 

strong  and  constant  wish  and  hope  to  see  yon  all  again.  That 
reunion  news  was  grand  and  good,  only  1  think  Uncle  George 
was  rather  extravagant  about  me. 

.    .     .     .    Always  remember  how  dearly  I  love  you  and  H. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Stearns : 

La  Tour,  Piedmont,  June  28,  1869. 

My  dear  Stearns  :  I  was  right  glad  to  get  your  letter  after 
the  Assembly,  and  also  the  reports  of  proceedings,  though  I  have 
not  seen  even  an  abstract  of  your  opening  sermon.  You  have 
had  great  responsibility  and  honor  put  upon  you  in  this  mo- 
mentous crisis,  and  I  rejoice  that  you  have  been  able  to  counsel 
so  wisely  and  do  so  much.  It  is,  indeed,  a  glorious  result  of  all 
these  years  of  change  and  discussion,  and  it  promises  much  more 
for  the  future.  Would' that  I  could  have  been  with  you,  but  I 
hope  to  get  back  in  harvest-time.  For  the  last  month  I  have 
been  steadily  gaining  in  tone  and  strength  among  these  beauti- 
ful hills  and  valleys.  I  always  had  a  kind  of  yearning  for  the 
Waldenses,  which  has  now  been  gratified.  They  are  a  reduced 
and  compressed  people,  and  bear  the  marks  of  their  past  persecu- 
tions ;  at  the  same  time  there  is  much  of  the  old  simple  faith 
remaining  ;  the  pastors  are  faithful,  and  no  chvirch,  in  propor- 
tion to  its  numbars,  is  doing  more  for  evangelization  outside  of 
its  own  boundaries.  The  whole  of  Italy  is  now  open  to  these  de- 
spised and  persecuted  Waldenses,  and  in  every  chief  city  they 
have  lighted  up  their  lamps.  I  like  them,  and  I  don't  like  it 
that  some  of  the  agents  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian 
Union  have  so  set  themselves  against  them. 

To-day  I  am  off  for  a  three  or  four  days'  excursion  in  another 
valley — toBalsille,  Fenestrelle  (fortress),  and  other  famous  points. 
Dorner,  and  Hoffman,  and  De  Pressense,  etc.,  are  pledged  for 
the  1870  Alliance  in  New  York.  The  British  organization  has 
joined  in  heartily,  and  Avill  send  some  of  the  best  of  its  men. 
Schaff  is  now  in  Berlin  working  for  it.  I  hear  that  Prof.  Park 
is  coming  abroad,  I  trust  that  we  may  meet.  It  is  now  four 
months  since  I  left  New  York — how  quickly  passed  !  I  am  much 
better  on  the  whole,  physically,  and  in  my  muscular  apparatus  ; 
I  sleep  better,  though  still  uncertain  of  it ;  and  I  can  bear  a  good 
deal  of  walking:.     But  I  cannot  read  or  write  much.     I  do  not 


Europe  and  the  East.  307 

yet  care  about  writing  more  than  one  letter  or  so  a  day.  I  hope 
to  return  in  the  early  fall.  But  I  want  to  know  how  much  of  a 
pressure  there  is,  or  would  be,  for  my  retih-n  early  in  the  term. 
If  I  should  find  it  best  to  stay  into  the  late  autumn  (for  the 
sake  of  solidifying  my  health),  could  arrangements  be  made  at 
the  Seminary,  do  you  tliink,  without  much  inconvenience  ?  Any 
expense,  of  course,  I  would  bear.  But  I  tliink  I  ought  not  this 
time  to  run  much  risk. ' 

While  at  La  Tour  he  was  cheered  by  many  kind  let- 
ters, among  which  were  the  following : 

"New  Yokk,  May  15,  1869. 

'' Veky  dear  Brother  and  Friend  :  I  was  greatly  consoled 
by  the  letters  you  sent  to  us  from  Rome.  Your  health  must 
have  improved  very  materially,  if  the  effort  in  writing  them  did 
not  quite  exhaust  you  ;  and  if  it  continues  to  improve  as  it  has 
done  since  you  left  us,  will  you  not  return  to  us  in  September, 
as  well  as  you,  have  ever  been  ?  And  if  so,  what  thanksgiving 
will  be  due  from  us  and  from  the  Church  to  the  Father  of  all  our 
mercies  !  Your  illness  has  taught  us,  in  some  measure,  how  to 
value  your  labors.  If  prayer  can  avail  to  prolong  your  strength, 
and  your  work  for  the  Church,  the  result  can  hardly  be  uncer- 
tain. There  has  been  a  l^rge  increase  of  prayer,  for  you  and  for 
our  Seminary,  since  you  have  been  withdrawn  from  us.  What  a 
chasm  in  our  course  of  teaching,  the  lack  of  lectures  on  Tlie- 
ologij  ! 

"Your  letter  to  the  students  was  read  to  them  Saturday  even- 
ing, before  proceeding  with  the  service  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Its 
effect  on  the  service  was  very  happy  :  a  peculiar  tenderness  and 
pathos  marked  all  the  exercises.  For  once,  I  felt  it  was  very 
good  to  be  there.  I  thank  you  very  cordially,  beloved  friend 
and  brother,  for  the  letter  you  sent  me.  It  comforts  me  to  be 
assured  that  I  have  ever  done  anything  which  has  in  any  way 
comforted  you.  I  regard  you  as  the  glory  of  our  Seminary,  and 
have  from  the  first,  so  regarded  you.  Through  you,  more  than 
any  one,  our  Institution  has  risen  to  a  rank  quite  equal  to  that 
of  any  other  in  the  land.  I  have  loved  you  for  your  own  sake  : 
I  have  loved  you  for  the  sake  of  your  work  in  the  Seminary  ;  I 


3o8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

have  loved  you  for  what  you  have  done  for  the  cause  of  sacred 
learning  and  evangelical  religion  in  the  American  Church.     I 
wish  I  had  shown  you'  my  love  in  a  worthier  manner.     Give  my 
kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Smith  and  your  son. 
"  Yours  very  affectionately, 

''Tho.  H.  Skikner." 

Dr.  Skinner  also  wrote  to  him  later : 

'' .  .  .  No  man  has  done  as  much  as  you  have  in  consum- 
mating our  glorious  reunion.  I  sympathize  with  the  high 
rejoicing  with  which  your  soul  cannot  but  be  filled  by  the  per- 
fect and  wonderful  success  of  your  labors.  May  Grod  fill  you 
more  and  more  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory,  for  His 
grace  toward  you,  in  this  great  movement.  I  am  only  happy  in 
the  hope  of  seeing  you  so  soon,  and  seeing  you  well  and  able  to 
work  again  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  With  very  affectionate 
remembrances  to  Mrs.  S.  and  your  son,  I  am,  very  dear  brother, 
in  the  bonds  of  everlasting  friendship  and  love,  yours, 

"  Thomas  H.  Skinner." 

"New  York,  June  3,  1869. 

'^  My  dear  Brother  Smith  :  Very  many  were  made  most 
happy — myself  principally — by  your  favor  of  April  4th,  from 
Naples.  It  rejoices  us  all  to  know  that  you  are  in  the  way  of 
convalescence.  From  my  heart,  I  can  adopt  the  words  of  Paul 
concerning  Epaphroditus — '  but  God  had  mercy  not  on  him 
only  but  on  me  also,  lest  I  should  have  sorrow  upon  sorrow.' 
You  have  heard  all  the  good  things  which  have  been  done  for 
us,  during  your  absence.  Some  of  them  have  occupied  me  so 
much  that  I  find  in  them  my  only  apology  for  delaying  writing 
to  you  so  long. 

"  Prentiss  has  written  you  all  about  General  Assemblies,  which 
have  just  adjourned.  Never  since  Pentecost  were  such  conven- 
tions of  Christian  men.     The  Eeunion  is  un  fait  accompli. 

"  You  were  missed  by  all ;  very  frequent  mention  was  made  of 
your  name  both  in  public  and  private.  All  feel  that  no  one  has 
done  more  than  you  to  bring  about  reunion. 

''Ever  believe  me,  my  dear  brother,  yours  most  truly  and 

affectionately, 

"W.Adams." 


Europe  and  the  East.  309 

He  received,  about  this  time,  from  the  College  of  New- 
Jersey,  the  honorary  degree  of  LL.D.  In  communi- 
cating to  him  the  action  of  the  trustees,  President  Mc- 
Cosh  wrote  :  "This  is  no  honor  to  you,  but  it  is  an 
expression  of  esteem  on  our  part,  and  may  be  regarded 
as  an  earnest  of  the  reality  of  the  Presbyterian  Union, 
for  which  you  have  done  so  much." 

August  2,  1869. 

The  Hotel  Bel  Alp,  where  we  have  been  staying  for  a  week,  is 
near  Brigue,  valley  of  the  Rhone,  seven  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea,  on  the  edge  of  a  glacier  (the  Aletsch)  twenty  miles  long, 
surrounded  by  beautiful  Alps,  and  in  full  view  of  one  of  the 
grandest  chains  of  mountains  in  Switzerland.  .  .  .  We 
had  a  fine  journey  over  the  Simplon,  and  then  to  Zermatt, 
to  see  the  Matterhorn,  Monte  Eosa,  etc.,  where  we  stayed 
about  a  week.  The  views  there,  from  the  Gorner  Grat,  are 
among  the  grandest  of  the  Alps ;  nothing  but  high,  sharp 
mountains  and  glaciers,  filling  up  the  horizon  on  all  sides.  .  .  . 
Then  we  came  here,  in  a  rain  storm,  a  week  ago,  and  to-day  it  is 
again  raining  hard,  keei^ing  about  forty  people  in-doors,  shiver- 
ing, grumbling,  reading  over  old  newspapers,  writing,  and,  in 
general,  much  out  of  sorts.  This  high  glacial  air,  in  which  I 
have  been  living  for  two  weeks,  has,  on  the  whole,  been  favora- 
ble to  me.  ...  In  these  physical  respects  I  think  I  am  a 
real  gainer,  though  I  cannot  yet  say  that  I  should  feel  it  quite 
safe  to  go  to  work  lecturing  every  day  again.  But  that,  I  trust, 
will  come  with  time.  I  hope  to  go  back  to  New  York  in  the 
autumn,  though  very  much  depends  upon  the  result  of  the  next 
six  or  eight  weeks  in  Switzerland. 

I  have  lately  received  a  letter  from  Professor  Park,  now  at 
Oxford,  proposing  that  we  should  be  together  in  Switzerland,  so 
we  shall  not  lack  for  good  company.  Through  Mr.  Bancroft  [in 
Berlin]  I  have  a  home  paper  almost  every  day.  .  .  .  Our 
future  plans  are  somewhat  uncertain,  though  I  hope  to  get  back 
early  in  the  autumn.  ...  I  am  delighted  about  Reunion 
and  other  home  news. 

From  the  Bel  Alp  he  descended  to  Brieg,  a.nd  jour- 


3IO  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

neyed  over  tlie  Fiirca,  Oberalp,  and  Jnlier  passes,  to  St. 
Moritz,  in  the  Engadin.  This  unique  valley  had  great 
charms  for  him,  in  its  pure  air,  its  intense  sunshine,  its 
fields  rich  with  wild-flowers,  its  chain  of  sea-green  lakes, 
and  its  encircling  wall  of  fir-ba.sed,  snowy  mountains, 
with  their  immense  interlying  fields  of  glaciers.  The 
strong  chalybeate  waters  were  of  great  benefit  to  him. 
His  colleague.  Professor  Schaff,  was  there,  a  native  of 
Chur,  to  whom  the  whole  region  w^as  familiar,  and  who 
introduced  his  friend  to  several  of  his  old  school-mates, 
among  them  the  great  scholar,  and  the  hereditary  great 
man  of  the  valley.  Other  American  friends  were  also 
there.  The  influences  of  the  place  were  so  invigorating 
that  he  remained  until  the  middle  of  September.  Then 
he  went  down  to  Ragatz,  for  a  week,  on  his  way  to  Lake 
Lucerne,  and  spent  several  weeks  at  Gersau  and  on  the 
Rigi  Scheideck. 

The  day  after  he  reached  Gersau,  he  received  a  letter 
informing  him  that  the  Directors  of  the  Seminary  had 
generously  voted  to  give  him  longer  release  from  his 
duties.  This  reached  him  when  he  was  feeling  the 
effects  of  the  relaxing  change  from  the  high  air  of  the 
Engadin.  At  first  he  was  very  reluctant  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  generous  proposal,  and  to  admit  the  thought 
of  continued  inactivity,  but  the  next  day  his  decision 
was  made,  and  a  cable  telegram  sent  for  his  children  to 
come  and  join  him.  So  restless  a  night  followed  this 
decision,  that  it  was  thought  best  for  him  to  go  up  the 
mountain  to  the  Rigi  Scheideck  Hotel,  where  he  stayed 
till  October.  On  his  return  to  Gersau  he  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  meeting  his  friend,  Professor  Park,  and  of  making 
with  him  a  pilgrimage  to  Einsiedeln. 

Rigi  Scheideck,  September  28,  1869. 

My  deakest  Mother  :  I  had  hoped  by  this  time  to  be  set- 
ting my  face  liomeward,  but  it  seems  that  this  is  not  to  be  quite 
yet.     The  action  of  the  Directors  in  giving  me  the  Hberty  of 


Etiropc  and  the  East.  3 1 1 

staying  is  indeed  very  generous,  after  all  they  have  before  done 
and  it  puts  me  more  at  ease  about  staying  for  a  time.  I  do  hope 
and  believe  that  I  have  not  got  to  remain  idle  another  year,  for 
I  can  ill  afford  to  do  that  at  my  time  of  life,  and  Avith  so  much 
left  undone.  But  who,  after  all,  knows  much  about  what  he 
really  does  in  this  world,  or  what  it  will  amount  to.  How  soon 
the  waves  of  forge tfulness  roll  over  almost  everybody  !  How 
easily  our  places  can  be  supplied,  and  that  is,  after  all,  a  comfort. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss : 

RtGi  ScHEiDECK,  September  30,  1869. 

The  Fohn  wind  is  blowing  up  here,  like  the  Furies  let  loose, 
day  and  night,  whistling  through  every  crevice,  and  shaking  the 
old  house.  The  san  is  shining  bright  and  warm,  the  prospect  is 
clear  and  magnificent,  and  thus  it  has  been  for  days.  We  are 
staying  on  till  rain  and  cold  come  and  drive  us  down.  In  these 
high  places  I  feel  like  another  man.     .     . 

I  hope  that  the  Board  understood  that  I  might  be  back  for  the 

last  half  of  the  year,  and  that  they  have  made  their  arrangements 

accordingly.     I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  staying  away  a  whole 

year,  half  idle ;  I  think  it  quite  probable  that  by  December  I 

shall  be  able  to  come  home.     ...     I  don't  like  to  be  such  a 

burden  on  you  all.     If  a  man  can't  work  he  shouldn't  eat.     I  am 

ready,  as  I  have  already  written,  to  bear  my  part  in  the  needed 

supply.     .     .     .     Love  to  you  all.     How  we  want  to  see  you  ! 

We  are  hoping  to  see  A with    M .     Greetings   to  the 

beloved  Chi  Alpha.     Love  to  Stearns.     Farewell. 

H.  B.  S. 

About  the  middle  of  October  lie  joined,  in  Heidelberg, 
the  family  of  his  brother-in-law,  Hon.  Erastns  Hopkins, 
who  were  established  there  for  the  winter,  and  there  he 
awaited  the  arrival  of  his  children.  A  painful  trouble 
in  the  ear,  which  had  shown  itself  first  at  Ragatz,  and 
had  been  partially  relieved  by  medical  treatment  at 
Gersau,  had  been  increasing,  until  it  now  deprived  him 
of  sleep.  Professor  Moos,  the  eminent  aurist,  found  the 
evil  to  be  one  which  threatened  very  serious  results. 
His  skillful  course  of  treatment  arrested  it.     This,  and 


312  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

the  depressing  winter  climate  of  Heidelberg,  counter- 
acted the  benefits  of  the  pleasant  family  life.  Early  in 
November  he  had  the  joy  of  welcoming  three  of  his  chil- 
dren, and  with  them,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Prentiss,  his 
oldest  son,  then  residing  in  Berlin,  having  met  the  others 
on  their  arrival  at  Bremen. 

To  Prof.  R.  D.  Hitchcock : 

Heidelberg,  December  5,  1869. 

Your  ship  letter  is  just  received,  and  I  suppose  this  will  find 
you  in  Paris.  I  am  sorry  that  you  had  so  tedious  a  voyage  ;  but 
you  will,  I  trust,  soon  get  over  it. 

As  to  myself,  I  have  been  here  now  some  six  weeks,  and,  until 
within  a  few  days,  the  weather  has  been  discouraging.  But  now 
we  have  snow,  and  capital  sleighing,  and  brisk  air,  and  it  is  good. 
I  cannot  join  you  in  Marseilles  ;  nor,  on  the  whole,  do  I  think  it 
will  be  best  for  me  to  make  the  Nile  journey.  But  I  may  be  in 
Cairo  to  join  you  on  your  return. 

I  want  to  stay  in  Germany  a  while  longer,  to  see  some  univer- 
sities I  have  not  yet  seen — Tiibingen,  Erlangen,  and  Bonn — 
and  to  extend  my  ''general  information."     .     .     . 

.  .  .  The  family  is  well  established  here  for  the  present. 
Indoors  we  have  comfortable  times,  and  live  as  we  Jike,  much 
better  and  more  economical  than  hotel  or  pension  life.  .  .  . 
Tell  me  just  how  the  Seminary  is  doing.  I  am  glad  to  hear  of 
defitiite  talk  about  a  new  building.  Eeunion  is  secured  ;  may 
we  but  live  and  work  for  the  results. 

.  .  .  Please  write  when  you  get  anywhere.  Au  revoir  aux 
Pyram  ides  ! 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss : 

Heidelbekg,  November  1,  1869. 

We  have  this  evening  heard  from  W.,  at  Bremen,  that  the 
Deutscliland  was  at  Southampton  last  evening  at  ten  o'clock. 
So  we  are  full  of  thankfulness  and  expectation.  If  this  villain- 
ous weather  holds  up  a  bit,  we  may  go  to  Cologne  to  meet  and 
escort  the  comers.  Such  weather  has  not  been  known  here  for 
years — the  most  cheerless  ten  days  we  have  had  in  Europe.  But 
it  was  fortunate  I  came  here  ;  for  I  am  under  one  of  the  best 


Europe  and  the  East.  313 

European  aurists  (Prof.  Moos)  for  my  ear-trouble,  which  threat- 
ened to  be  serious  ;  it  has  pulled  me  back  these  past  six  weeks, 
and  is  not  yet  over,  though  doing  better.  It  is,  on  the  whole, 
fortunate  that  I  have  not  been  compelled  to  plan  about  coming 
home  just  yet.  I  am  hearing  lectures  here  (Schenkel,  Holtz- 
mann,  Hitzig,  Zeller,  Bluntschli,  etc.),  and  manage  to  get  along, 
though  with  some  tedium  and  chafing.  What  to  do  after  a 
month,  I  don't  know.  I  mean  to  go  to  Tubingen,  Wiirzburg, 
and,  perhaps,  Erlaugen  and  Bonn — for  a  few  days  or  so  each — to 
sec  and  hear  the  men  and  get  ideas !  If  this  somhre  weather 
holds  on,  I  shall  want  to  get  below  the  Alps — to  become  Ultra- 
montane, in  short.  Prof.  Park  is  going  to  Greece  and  Palestine, 
and  would  like  to  have  me  along,  but  this  seems  too  formidable 
and  expensive  a  matter,  etc.,  etc.  Sherwood  wrote  me  about 
uniting  our  Revieio  with  Princeton,  and  wanted  me  to  give  him 
authority.  I  wrote  him  that  I  was  afraid  Princeton  could  not 
offer  or  accept  what  we  should  want,  but  that  I  would  agree  to 
whatever  you  might  sanction.  I  am  sorry  to  trouble  you,  but  I 
didn't  know  what  else  to  say.  .  .  What  you  and  Stearns 
would  think  right,  I  should  like,     .     .     . 

I  want  very  much  to  know  soon  just  how  matters  are  getting 
along  in  the  Seminary.  I  can't  tell  you  how  badly  I  feel  at 
being  away  when  the  Seminary  is  otherwise  crippled.  How 
would  it  affect  matters  to  have  me  back  in  January  ?  Do  let 
me  know  all  about  it.     .     .     . 

Heidelberg,  Baden,  January  10,  1870. 

My  dear  George  :  Your  long  and  most  welcome  letter  came 
safely  to  hand,  and  made  us  to  rejoice  with  you.  .  .  .  What 
with  all  this,  and  the  reunion  news,  and  rejoicings,  I  almost  feel, 
way  off  here,  as  if  I  was  shut  out  from  both  the  church  and  the 
world.  These  two  or  three  months  in  Heidelberg  have  not  been 
any  great  gain  to  me,  though,  in  some  respects,  I  am  better  off. 
Our  family  life  here  has  been  pleasant,  but  of  Heidelberg  society  I 
have  seen  almost  nothing.  .  .  .  There  are  pleasant  English 
and  American  families.  The  young  people  have  enough  to  do 
with  lessons  and  concerts,  etc.,  etc.,  and  they  go  out  rather 
more  than  they  would,  perhaps,  at  home,  which  will,  I  think, 
work  itself  out  all  right  in  time.     Then  we  have  been  to  Worms, 


314  He7iry  Boynton  Smith. 

and  Speyer,  and  Nuremberg,  Wurzburg,  Bamberg,  and  Stutt- 
gart— all  pleasant  excursions. 

Please  tell  Scliaff,  with  love,  that  v.  Bizer  and  Prof.  Schwab 
at  Stuttgart  received  me  very  cordially.  I  have  been  getting  all 
the  works  published  in  Germany  on  the  Council,  which  already 
make  quite  a  literature  of  twenty  volumes,  or  so.  Have  you 
seen  Janus,  probably  by  Bollinger,  the  ablest  book  against  Papal 
Infallibility?  Eichter,  on  '' Eeform  of  Churches,"  is  also  in- 
structive, and  faces  the  consequences  better,  saying  that  in  Ger- 
many a  national  church,  non-Italian,  is  the  only  solution  of  the 
present  difficulties.  But  it  will  probably  be  in  this  Council  as 
at  Trent — the  Pope  will  either  have  things  his  own  way,  or  else 
have  them  so  left  that  he  can  put  them  as  he  pleases  afterward. 
The  logic  of  Kome  leads  irrevocably  to  the  Personal  Infallibility 
of  the  Pope.  The  French  and  American  bishops  who  object, 
do  so  chiefly  on  grounds  of  prudence,  not  of  principle.  The 
dogma  will  be  carried,  even  if  it  is  not  decreed.     .     .     , 

To  Chi  Alpha  my  special  salutations,  made  warmer  than  ever 
by  absence  and  distance.  I  think  of  that  Christian  brotherhood 
with  strong  desire,  almost  every  Saturday  night,  and  feel  like 
an  exile.  If  I  can  only  get  back,  I  will  try  not  to  go  away  again. 
The  Lord  bless  and  keep  you  all,  I  am  still  waiting  here  to  hear 
from  Rome.  Probably  in  a  week  or  so  I  shall  be  off — for  Eome, 
or  Athens,  or  Alexandria — farther  than  ever  from  home,  but,  I 
hope  and  pray,  on  the  best  way  to  it.     Ever  so  much  love  to 

your  wife. 

Ever  most  affectionately, 

H.  B.  Smith. 

(Translation.) 

From  Professor  HioIucJc  : 

"  Halle,  December  12,  1869. 

*'Mt  dear  Friend  :  How  much  I  lament  the  cessation  of 
your  letters  to  me,  since  I  know  that  it  is  because  you  are  not  in 
a  condition  to  return  to  your  blessed  work  at  home  ! 

"  I  think  that  the  benefit  of  a  winter  in  Palestine  depends 
almost  entirely  upon  the  character  of  your  disease.  If  that  is 
nervous  debility,  I  cannot  recommend  it  confidently  on  account 
of  its  winter  weather,  with  frost  and  rain,  and  the  insufficiently 
protected  houses.     On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be  a  great  gain 


Eiirope  a7id  the  East.  315 

in  the  way  of  rich  enjoyment  (Herzensfreude),  and  of  theological 
fruit. 

"I  wish,  indeed,  that  I  could  accompany  you.  But  my 
bodily  complaints  are  such  as  forbid  my  undertaking  so  long  a 
journey,  although,  thank  God,  I  am  in  a  condition  to  lay  aside 
easily  my  academical  duties. 

''I  have  endeavored  to  meet  your  wishes  by  the  enclosed  [let- 
ters], and,  together  with  my  wife,  assure  you  how  much  I  should 
rejoice  to  see  you,  with  your  wife  and  children,  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  our  dear  Prentiss,  once  more  before  my  end.  Your  son 
gave  me  so  lovely  an  impression  of  his  mind  and  heart  that  I 
could  only  regret  that  his  stay  was  so  short. 

'*  With  hearty  friendship  in  the  Lord, 

**  Yours, 

'*A.  Tholuck." 

(Translation.) 

From  Professor  Kahnis : 

"  December  12,  1869. 

*'  My  dear  Friend  :  My  wife  strongly  hoped  to  meet  you  in 
Switzerland,  but  it  did  not  come  about,  to  her  great  regret.  I 
rejoice  to  hear  that,  on  the  whole,  you  are  doing  well.  And  there 
could  not  be  a  more  deligbtful  path  to  health  than  that  which 
leads  through  Italy,  Egypt,  and  Palestine.  I  rejoice  wnth  all  my 
heart  in  the  hope  of  seeing  you  in  Leipsic  next  spring,  and  mean 
that  you  shall  be  our  guest. 

"In  Heidelberg  I  have  no  acquaintances  to  whom  I  could  in- 
troduce you.  In  Tiibingen,  Oehler  is  a  near  friend  of  mine.  I 
enclose  a  letter  to  him  ;  he  will  introduce  you  to  others.  In  Er- 
langen,  seek  out,  particularly,  Herr  von  Zezsonwitz,  and  give  him 
the  enclosed  letter  ;  he  will  be  very  cordial,  and  you  wull  find  a 
great  deal  in  him.  ...  I  enclose  letters  to  Hoffmann  and 
Thomasius.     I  hope  that  you  will  enjoy  much.     .     .     . 

'^  '  May  God  guide  thee  in  all  thy  ways,  and  strengthen  thy 
■weakness,  and  renew  thy  youth  like  the  eagle's'  (Isaiah  40).  I 
am,  in  deep  and  true  affection, 

"  Thine, 

*' Kahnis." 

His  stay  in  Heidelberg,  as  has  been  seen,  was  pro- 


31 6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

tracted  beyond  Ms  original  intention,  by  necessary 
medical  treatment,  and  afterwards  by  the  arrangements 
for  a  journey  to  the  East,  which  had  been  proposed  to 
him  by  Professor  Park.  He  seemed  to  his  friends  al- 
most too  feeble  to  undertake  this  long  journey  with  its 
fatigues  and  exposures,  but  it  was  the  most  hopeful  of 
experiments.  The  decision  was  made,  not  without  mis- 
givings, and  on  the  fifteenth  of  January,  1870,  he  left 
Heidelberg.  His  wife  and  daughter  accompanied  him  to 
Munich,  and  a  few  days  later,  after  short  visits  to  Flor- 
ence and  Ravenna,  he  joined  Professor  Park  in  Rome. 

To  Ms  luife : 

Verona,  Wednesday  morning,  January  19,  1870. 

Eight  o'clock.  So  far  on  my  way,  safe  and  well.  It  was 
snowing  fast  at  Innspruck,  and  was  not  yet  snowing  much  on 
the  pass,  but  might  in  the  night,  and  so  I  thought  it  best  to  push 
right  on,  and  am  glad  that  I  did  ;  for,  after  passing  the  summit 
of  the  pass,  the  moon  broke  out  and  we  had  the  most  magnifi- 
cent ride  possible,  all  the  way  the  hills  snow-clad,  and  a  pale 
light  upon  them,  valleys,  streams,  etc.  I  did  not  get  more  than 
half  a  night's  sleep,  but  the  magnificent  view  more  than  made 
up  for  it.  ...  I  am  now  going  out  to  see  the  amphithe- 
atre, etc. 

Verona,  "Wednesday  evening,  January  19,  1870. 

I  write  again  now,  as  I  start  at  six  o'clock  to-morrow  morn- 
ing for  Ferrara  and  Ravenna,  expecting  to  reach  Florence  on 
Wednesday. 

Already  I  am  out  of  that  mixed  climate  of  Heidelberg  ;  the  day 
has  been  overcast,  but  like  a  dull  November  day,  instead  of  a 
dreary  one  in  February.  I  have  been  about,  walking,  for  six  or 
eight  hours,  and  have  had  a  nice  time  of  it.  The  ''arena"  or 
amphitheatre  here  is  hardly  second  to  the  Coliseum  in  Rome,  in 
some  respects  better  preserved.  It  is  not  so  grand,  but  more 
complete  ....  The  Duomo,  the  Church  of  St.  Anastasia, 
.  .  .  and  especially  the  Church  of  St.  Zeno,  are  all  peculiar 
and  impressive.  At  noon  I  went,  casually,  into  an  obscure 
church,  and  it  was  full ;  the  priest  was  dispensing  the  bread. 


Europe  and  the  East.  317 

and  it  was  a  memorable  sight.  If  it  were  not  for  some  dozen  or 
fifteen  good  reasons,  I  should  be  inclined  to  become  a  Roman 
Catholic  ;  somehow  that  church  gets  hold  of  a  part  of  the  popu- 
lation, and  a  part  of  our  common  sinful  nature,  which  Protest- 
ants as  yet  (or  now)  fail  to  reach  as  thoroughly. 

This  city,  like  most  of  the  Italian  towns,  has  its  own  physiog- 
nomy, unlike  any  other,  as  if  it  grew  up.  It  is  on  the  Adige, 
which  is  shallow  and  turbulent,  spanned  by  several  fine  bridges. 
All  around  stand  the  guardian  hills,  crowned  with  castles  and 
fortresses.  Coming  from  Germany,  where  everybody  slouches, 
the  bearing  of  these  Italians  is  striking  :  the  commonest  work- 
men in  groups  have  their  rude  cloaks  slung  over  the  shoulder 
with  simple  grace,  and  they  walk  as  if  they  were  born  to  nobil- 
ity. On  the  market-place  men  and  women  hail  you,  and  retail 
vegetables  and  meat  with  a  kind  of  unconscious  dignity.  .  .  . 
But  it  is  good  for  me  to  be  off  from  a  settled,  secluded  sort  of 
life,  for  which  I  now  feel  that  I  was  not  ready.  Not  to  stay  in 
any  one  place  too  long  is  best  for  me  now. 

Bologna,  January  20. 

.  .  .  I  had  two  hours  in  Padua,  and  a  snow-storm  all  the 
way  from  Padua  here  ;  several  inches  of  snow,  real  winter  ;  so 
that  even  Italy  is  not  always  bright  and  warm.  .  .  .  This 
morning  I  go  out  to  Ravenna. 

Padua  would  be  well  worth  a  longer  stay ;  some  of  Giotto's 
frescoes  are  admirable.  .  .  .  But  Ravenna  is  the  place  to  be 
seen,  and  being  so  near  I  could  not  deny  myself.  I  feel  better, 
too,  to-day,  and  am  getting  to  like  traveling. 

Ravenna,  January  21. 

...  I  have  been  on  the  go  most  of  the  time  since  eight 
this  morning,  so  as  to  get  through  with  this  very  remarkable  place. 
I  have  hardly  spent  so  improving  a  day  since  I  came  abroad. 
The  churches  and  mosaics  and  ancient  monuments  of  Theoderic, 
etc.,  are  far  beyond  my  expectations.  .  .  •  The  breath  of 
the  sea  air  does  me  good,  and  I  have  just  kept  out  all  day.  And 
in  my  room  I  have  a  blazing  wood  fire,  and  have  my  bed  warmed, 
and  everybody  attentive,  because  no  other  stranger  is  here. 


3i8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Florence,  January  25. 

.  .  .  Just  heard  from  Professor  Park  ;  go  to  Eome  to-mor- 
row. .  .  .  Last  evening,  dinner  at  the  Grahams  (beautiful), 
and  reception  at  Van  Nest's,  To-daj  Ball's  studio  and  several 
visits ;  dinner  (now)  at  Graham's,  reception  at  Marsh's,  more 
society  and  life  than  in  a  year  at  Heidelberg.  I  am  feeling  bet- 
ter— much. 

Rome,  January  27,  1870. 

I  left  Florence  yesterday  morning  at  seven  and  got  here,  some- 
what cold  and  tired,  last  night  at  eleven,  and  had  a  good  sound 
sleep.  .  .  .  Professor  Park  is  not  far  off,  and  I  have  been 
with  him  two  hours  this  morning.  .  .  .  To-day  is  bright, 
clear,  cool,  and  I  am  going  to  St.  Peter's  and  the  Vatican,  and 
this  evening  to  see  Mrs.  Gould. 

Hotel  de  Roma,  Rome,  January  38,  1870. 

The  Hungarian  bishops  and  theologians  (of  the  Council)  are 
here,  at  this  hotel,  as  I  believe  I  told  you,  and  I  have  had  good 
talks  in  German  with  some  of  them.  This  morning  I  went  to 
see  all  the  bishops  coming  out  of  the  council-chamber  (there 
was  a  Conciliar  Congregation  to-day),  an  imposing  sight — the 
Orientals  are  splendid  ;  then  to  the  gallery  of  the  Vatican,  and 
I  got  unmounted  photographs  from  the  originals  of  The  Trans- 
figuration and  of  Murillo's  St.  Catherine's  Espousal  to  the  Infant 
Jesus — the  last  is  perfectly  charming  ;  then  to  the  Reading- 
room.  The  Times  of  London  for  the  24tli  and  25th  have  been 
seized  by  the  police  ;  the  Roman  correspondent  has  been  getting 
saucy  of  late.  One  of  the  Hungarians  told  me  that  it  was  not 
supposed  that  the  Council  would  pass  any  decrees  yet  awhile,  but 
debate  and  prepare  until  Easter,  and  then  put  all  the  matters  in 
the  hands  of  commissioners,  and  adjourn  until  next  autumn  or 
winter.  ...  I  get  along  nicely  without  you,  even  in  the 
matter  of  sewing  on  buttons,  which  I  had  to  do  this  morning. 
To  be  sure,  it  took  me  some  time  to  establish  a  conclusive  rela- 
tion between  the  thread  and  the  needle's  eye,  but  after  that  I  did 
grandly,  and  I  don't  believe  that  any  other  two  buttons  on  my 
clothes  are  as  solidly  fixed  as  these,  and  now  here's  another  but- 
ton just  off — I  wish  you  were  here.  Everybody  says  that  I  am 
looking  so  much  better. 


Etii'ope  and  the  East.  310 

Saturday  evenmg,  29tli. — Tliis  is  bright,  cool,  clear.  This 
morning  the  mausoleum  of  Augustus,  etc. ;  got  some  old  coins. 
With  Professor  Park,  etc.,  to  see  a  picture  of  Raphael  on  sale 
for  forty  thousand  dollars,  genuine,  beautiful,  Apollo  and  Mar- 
syas.  Apollo  looks  like  a  god  ;  but  I  haven't  the  money.  After- 
noon with  Prof.  P.  to  St.  Clement's  church,  and  Father  Mallooly 
showed  us  all  through,  and  so  we  had  to  buy  his  book  ;  you  rec- 
ollect the  church.  Then  to  Coliseum  and  St.  John  Lateran; 
the  Pieta  by  Beradin  in  the  vault  we  didn't  see  last  year ;  very 
touching,  even  Prof.  P.  was  sentimental  over  it.  .  .  .  Sun- 
day afternoon.  'Tis  a  perfect  spring  day,  the  olives  are  all 
green  ;  this  scene  quickens  me,  it  is  like  a  new  breath  of  life. 

February  3. — On  Monday  I  saw  and  heard  a  bishop's  funeral, 
some  two  or  three  hundred  bishops  performing  the  service. 
Tuesday  morning  in  the  Vatican  and  St.  Peter's.  Another 
bishop's  funeral  ;  a  hundred  of  the  barefooted  Carmelites  and 
about  fifty  celebrants  chaunting  dirges  from  St.  Peter's  to  a 
church  near  here.  Tuesday  evening  the  funeral  of  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany — five  or  six  thousand  soldiers  in  the  train — a 
grand  spectacle. 

Yesterday  was  Candlemas  ;  St.  Peter's  full ;  the  pope  borne 
aloft,  three  times  round  the  church,  with  five  hundred  bishops 
bearing  burning  lights  in  his  train.  Tuesday,  also,  at  St.  Clem- 
ent's where  Father  Burke,  an  Irish  preacher,  made  an  eloquent 
panegyric. 

Hotel  Crocelle,  Naples,  February  6,  1870. 

.  .  .  I  left  Rome  Thursday  afternoon  for  Ceprano,  on  the 
frontier,  .  .  .  about  as  forlorn  a  place  as  I  have  been  in  ; 
then  had  to  get  up  at  five  in  the  morning,  and  drive  again  in 
the  gray  light  to  Isoletta,  to  catch  the  train  for  Monte  Cassino, 
where  I  arrived  at  eight,  got  breakfast,  guide  and  a  small  Avhite 
pony,  and  rode,  in  a  bright,  warm  sun,  up  to  the  convent,  where 
I  had  a  grand  time.  One  of  the  monks  (now  twenty-five,  with 
a  hundred  and  fifty  pupils)  showed  me  everything  I  cared  to  see, 
in  three  or  four  hours,  and  then  gave  me  a  lunch.  The  church 
is  superb,  with  its  marble  decorations,  etc.  I  saw  Tosti.  .  .  . 
I  saw  the  Dante  and  other  MSS.  (they  have  five  hundred 
volumes  of  MSS.),  and  a  few  of  their  forty  thousand  diplomas. 


320  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

and  of  their  forty  thousand  volumes  in  the  library.  The  place 
exceeded  my  expectations,  and  that  is  saying  a  good  deal.  I 
enclose  two  leaves  from  the  monks'  garden.  Then  I  walked 
down,  enjoying  the  splendid  view  of  the  Abruzzi  and  other 
ranges  of  hills  filling  the  whole  horizon  and  bathing  in  the 
sunlight.  Professor  Park  was  in  the  afternoon  train.  .  .  . 
Naples  is  full  of  Americans.  I  wish  I  had  been  here  two 
months,  it  is  a  luxury  to  live  in  this  warmth  and  light ;  I  want 
to  be  out  of  doors  all  the  time.  As  I  look  from  my  window  the 
setting  sun  is  bathing  Capri  (just  enveloped  in  a  thin  veil)  with 
its  purple  light,  and  brightening  all  the  southern  arm  of  the 
coast  to  Sorrento  ;  and  Vesuvius  is  grand,  its  pillar  of  cloud 
being  just  laid  flat  on  its  northern  slope  by  the  breeze  streaming 
over  it,  and  the  whole  bay  is  glad  and  bright.  I  like  it  better 
and  better,  it  is  a  very  bright  place,  swarming  with  life. 

.  .  .  Tuesday  to  Sorrento  and  Capri  with  quite  a  com- 
pany. .  .  .  Sorrento  is  very  beautiful,  a  broad,  sheltered 
plateau  on  a  high  bluff,  shaded  by  orange  and  lemon  trees.  But 
Capri  is  the  most  picturesque  island  I  ever  saw  ;  about  ten  miles 
round,  two  mountains,  one  1,800,  and  one  800  feet ;  on  the  last  the 
remains  of  a  palace  of  Augustus,  and  the  precipice  down  which 
Tiberius  threw  his  victims.  "We  had  a  capital  donkey  ride  of 
two  and  a  half  hours  up  and  down  steep  places.  Each  donkey 
was  attended  by  two  girls,  one  to  push  and  one  to  pull,  and  both 
screeching  at  the  top  of  their  voices  all  the  way,  "  courage. 
Monsieur !  allez,  allez,  ah  !  ah  !  ah  ! "  'Twas  very  funny,  and 
they  trotted  me  almost  to  death,  but  I  was  better  after  it.  And 
then,  at  the  landing,  such  a  crowd  of  boys,  girls,  beggars,  old 
women  and  children,  all  crying,  screaming  and  importunate. 

Alexandria,  Egypt,  Summer,  Thermometer  80°   ) 
in  the  shade,  Sunday,  February  13,  1870.  \ 

We  arrived  early  this  morning,  safe  and  sound,  and  are  well 
lodged  at  the  Peninsula  and  Oriental  hotel,  on  the  great  square 
of  Alexandria.  You  never  saw  such  a  place,  such  picturesque 
confusion  of  skin-colors  and  clothes-colors,  and  donkeys,  and 
camels,  and  drays,  and  vehicles  of  all  sorts,  and  a  very  Babel  of 
tongues  on  the  market-place.  The  morning  was  bright,  and  we 
steamed  up  the  bay  just  as  the  sun  was  rising  behind  the  mina- 


Europe  and  the  East.  321 

rets,  and  towers,  and  windmills,  and  ships,  and  palaces.  There 
was  the  Pharos  on  the  site  of  the  old  wonder  of  the  world,  and 
there  was  the  Pasha's  palace,  and  Ijehind,  the  towers  of  churches 
and  minarets  of  mosques,  and  the  summits  of  Pompey's  pillar 
and  of  Cleopatra's  needle.  AVe  were  soon  invaded  by  a  motley 
throng  of  boatmen,  dragomen,  custom-house  officers,  soft  and 
flowing  in  ways  and  dress,  until  they  got  mad,  when  the  fire 
broke  out ;  all  hues,  some  of  the  finest-looking  deep  jet  beings 
you  ever  saw.  Greeks,  Franks,  Egyptians,  everybody  stammer- 
ing some  English.  We  worked  through  and  out,  and  got  the 
whole  party  of  twelve  ashore,  through  the  custom-house,  and  to 
the  hotel  (a  mile)  in  an  omnibus,  for  about  a  franc  and  a  half 
a  head  !  They  rather  put  on  me  the  bargaining  and  piloting, 
because  I  can  talk  French  and  a  bit  of  Italian  in  a  high  key, 
and  don't  mind  the  chaps.  Don't  you  think  1  must  be  better  ? 
This  warm  sun  is  just  like  a  cordial  to  me,  and  more  than  that, 
it  sends  life  through  all  the  pores  to  the  center. 

But  now  I  must  make  up  my  itinerary.  On  the  8th  we  left 
Naples,  about  noon.  .  .  .  AVe  took  the  Italian  steamer  way 
through  to  Alexandria,  and  had  close  quarters  and  good  fare. 
There  were  eighteen  Americans   aboard,  a  pleasant  company. 

9th,  at  8  o'clock  at  Messina,  passing  between  Scylla  and 
Charybdis;  just  as  we  entered  the  Messina  Straits,  with  glimpses 
then  and  afterward  of  Mt.  iEtna,  though  clouds  obscured  the 
summit.  At  Messina,  a  drive  round  the  town  (well  built),  and 
to  an  orange  grove,  where  we  plucked  and  ate  the  best  of 
oranges,  and  gathered  flowers.     It  was  a  brilliant  day. 

10th,  bright  and  billowy ;  almost  all  sick,  except  Prof.  P. 
and  myself.  For  a  hundred  miles  we  sailed  along  the  coast  of 
Candia  (Crete),  with  the  snow-capped  Mt.  Ida  in  full  view — a 
rare  vision — for  six  or  eight  hours. 

11th  and  12th,  calmer,  sunny  days,  among  the  best  of  the 
Mediterranean. 

13th,  arrived  at  Alexandria,  Sunday.  I  went  to  the  R.  C. 
Church,  and  to  the  Greek  Church  ;  nothing  very  striking. 

Farewell.     All  is  new  and  old  and  strange. 

Caiho,  February  17. 
.     .     .     I  am  improving  every  day  in  health  and  tone,  and 
21 


322  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

several  nights  have  just  slept  straight  through.  This  is  our 
July  weather,  tempered  by  the  most  grateful  breezes  all  day, 
with  cool  nights  and  mornings.  Nothing  could  be  better,  and  I 
ought  to  have  come  here  a  month  sooner  and  gone  up  the  Nile. 

14th,  Tuesday,  four  and  a  half  hours  by  railroad  to  Cairo. 
Such  fertility  as  that  of  the  Delta  of  the  Nile  can  hardly  be 
matched.  Long  lines  of  camels,  thirty  or  forty  in  a  row,  carry- 
ing all  sorts  of  things  ;  rude  mud  villages,  a  mixed,  picturesque 
and  dirty  population,  of  all  possible  human  hues.  "We  are  very 
comfortably  established  at  Shepherd's  hotel,  a  large,  roomy 
place,  built  round  wide,  open  courts.  Out  of  my  window  I  see  a 
garden  of  palm-trees  and  all  sorts  of  Oriental  shrubbery ;  deli- 
cate, brown,  long-eared  kids  are  feeding  on  the  new  grass. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  through  the  bazars,  crammed  with 
shops  and  people;  narrow  streets,  high  houses,  crooked  lanes, 
covered  at  the  top,  to  keep  out  the  sun.  We  also  went  to  the 
citadel,  and  the  splendid  mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali,  built  about 
twenty-five  years  since.  The  dome  is  superb,  and  the  tomb  of 
his  highness  is  really  noble.  Going  into  a  mosque,  we  all  have 
to  doff  boots  and  don  slippers.  The  view  of  Cairo  here  is  very 
fine— a  city  now  of  600,000. 

.     .     .     A  very  kind  letter  from  D.   Stuart  Dodge,  Beirut,* 

*  "  Beirut,  January  20,  1870. 
"My  dear  Prof.  Smith  :  We  do  not  always  credit  accounts  from  Egypt, 
but  we  hear,  on  reasonable  authority,  that  a  few  crowned  heads,  according 
to  our  notions,  are  still  floating  around  in  the  Khedive's  dominions.  All  the 
royal  personages  this  year,  excepting  the  Empress,  whose  example  is  hardly 
to  be  quoted,  have  not  ventured  to  omit  Syria  in  their  pilgrimage.  "We  can- 
not entertain  the  thought  that  our  princes  are  to  do  othei'wise.  But  I  send 
this  line,  on  its  uncertain  course,  to  follow  your  colors  up  the  river,  to  an- 
nounce our  united  and  eager  expectancy.  We  will  promise  you  all  royal 
salutes  and  every  ecclesiastical  salaam.  A  small  regiment  of  your  pupils 
and  friends  lay  claim  to  a  visit.  And,  in  all  sincerity,  I  think  we  may  also 
plead  duty.  The  first  of  April  there  will  be  held  here  a  missionary  con- 
ference with  delegates  representing  a  wide  range  of  American  effort  in 
this  part  of  the  world.  Not  only  would  you  have  an  opportunity  to  talk 
face  to  face  and  on  the  ground,  with  men  who  could  give  you  fresh  and  per- 
sonal views  of  the  work,  not  only  could  you  cheer  and  aid  them  at  this  gath- 
ering, but,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  may  prove  of  peculiar  value  to  the  set- 
tlement of  the  questions  of  missions  in  the  readjusted  operations  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  if  you  could  come  here  and  learn,  from  conversation 


Europe  mid  the  East.  323 

wanting  a  visit  from  mc,  especially  at  a  Missionary  Conference, 
in  Beirut,  the  first  of  April ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  can 
be  there  then.  Mr.  Hale  has  just  sent  me  the  itinerary  of  the 
royal  progress  up  the  Nile  by  Mariette  Bey  ;  also  a  permit  to  see 
the  Khedive's  palace  and  garden. 

Yesterday,  IGtli  February,  we  all  went  to  the  Ghizeh  Pyra- 
mids, about  ten  miles.  I  was  rather  disappointed  in  the  imme- 
diate impression.  Sand  hills  all  around,  to  the  west  unbroken 
sand ;  twelves  miles  off  the  Sakhara  pyramids  (nine),  I  didn't 
go  up  ;  inside,  a  dark,  close  chamber  (pyramid  of  Cheops), 
thirty  or  forty  feet  square,  and  high.  But  the  Sphinx  (a  mere 
torso)  is  still  wonderful ;  also  the  temple  of  the  Sphinx. 

To-day  we  have  been  at  Heliopolis.  I  send  you  a  leaf  from 
the  five-trunked  sycamore,  where  Joseph  and  Mary  are  said  to 
have  found  refuge. 

...  On  Friday,  the  18th,  to  Old  Cairo  (Coptic  still),  and 
the  grotto  of  the  Virgin  ;  also  to  a  whole  service  in  a  mosque  ; 
and  to  see  the  whirling  Dervishes,  some  twenty  spinning  round 
one  way  for  full  twenty  minutes. 

February  17th,  to  jialace  and  garden  of  the  Khedive  at  Ghe- 
zirah  ;  very  tine  ;  also  to  the  Egyptian  Museum. 

February  21st,  at  home  ;  sirocco  and  sand. 

February  22d,  to  Sakhara  pyramids  (nine),  and  the  wonderful 
cemetery  of  the  Apis  (sacred  bull)  ;  thirty  immense  sarcophagi, 
etc.,  in  subterranean  vaults,  hewn  out  of  the  rock.  Also  to 
what  remains  of  Memphis,  a  grand  fragment  of  a  Colossus, 
forty-two  feet  high,  in  a  mud  hole.  We  lunched  in  memory  of 
Washington,  in  the  largest  sarcophagus,  eight  people,  and  had 
room  to  spare. 

and  observation,  the  opinions  of  missionaries  themselves.  It  is  not  a  small 
subject,  nor  one  to  be  easily  settled.  A  few  weeks  here,  too,  in  our  charm- 
ing climate  and  surroundings,  would  be  just  the  rest,  I  am  sure,  the  medi- 
cal faculty  would  advise.  We  feel  that  we  have  a  pre-emptive  right  to  seize 
upon  yourself,  and  I  only  wish  our  tent  could  stretch  its  stakes  to  include  all 
your  boat-load  ;  but  the  whole  brotherhood  here  will  demand  a  share  in  the 
spoils. 

'*  Please  give  us  a  single  steamer's  notice  in  advance,  that  we  may  save 
you  from  the  Philistines  on  landmg. 

"Believe  me,  sincerely  yours, 

"  D.  Stuaet  Dodge." 


324  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

February  23d,  at  Sakhara  pyramids,  met  the  Hitchcocks  com- 
ing down  the  Nile,  also  the  Tylers.  ...  I  have  to  give 
up  going  up  the  Nile  ;  it  is  now  too  late.  I  wish  now  with  all 
my  heart  that  you  and  I  had  joined  the  H.s  up  the  Nile.  They 
have  had  a  splendid  time,  basking  in  sunshine  and  fanned  by 
breezes. 

And  now  we  have  made  up  a  party  for  Mt.  Sinai ;  to  Suez  by 
rail,  then  some  eighteen  or  twenty  days;  back  to  Suez  (not 
through  the  desert),  thence  through  the  canal,  to  Jaffa  and 
Jerusalem  ;  in  Jerusalem  two  or  three  weeks  till  about  the  10th 
of  April,  and  then,  by  horses,  to  Beirut,  about  the  last  of 
April.  .  .  .  Our  party  is  Prof.  Park,  Prof,  and  Mrs. 
Hitchcock  and  myself,  only  four,  with  two  other  parties,  start- 
ing about  the  same  time.  Our  tents,  fine  and  large,  are  now 
pitched  near  the  hotel,  and  make  a  fine  show.  We  are  all  in  the 
best  of  spirits. 

Last  Sunday  I  heard  a  Turkish  sermon,  and  an  Arabic,  and 
Dr.  Robinson  at  the  Mission  (U.  P.)  in  the  afternoon,  and  Dr. 
Newman  Hall  in  the  evening.  Hall  came  with  Cook's  excursion 
party  of  sixty,  a  third  of  them  Americans,  and  they  swept  off  to 
Syria  yesterday  morning. 

Cairo,  February  25. 

Yesterday  was  just  a  year  since  we  sailed  from  New  York, 
and  I  begin  to  realize  how  much  better  I  am.  .  .  .  What 
great  cause  for  gratitude  !     I  hope  I  am  thankful. 

Cairo,  Egypt,  February  23,  1870.  ] 

Amcliir  17,  1586,  Egyptian.    I 

22  Zoul  Kaada,  1286,  Moslem.    ( 

22  Adar,  5630,  Hebrew.  J 

My  dear  Mother  :  At  last  I  am  in  the  land  of  the  sun.  It 
is  like  July  weather,  ranging  from  60°  to  80° ;  but  such  perfect 
weather  we  never  know  in  New  England.  Here  there  is  now  no 
rain  ;  midday  is  warm,  but  almost  always  with  a  fresh  breeze  ; 
the  mornings  and  evenings  are  cool.  It  is  a  luxury  to  be  here. 
I  only  regret  that  I  did  not  come  six  weeks  ago,  and  go  up  the 
Nile  ;  it  would  have  been  a  gain  to  me  in  health  and  life. 
Since  I  left  Germany,  I  have  been  constantly  gaining,  and  am 
better  now  than  at  any  time  since  I  left  New  York,  a  year  ago 
to-morrow. 


Europe  and  the  East.  325 

Cairo  is  full  of  life  ;  no  Italian  town  is  so  manifestly 
growing.  The  Khedive,  the  Suez  Canal,  and  French,  English 
and  Italian  rivalry  for  commerce  are  stimulating  the  whole 
Egyptian  population  ;  but  few  people  were  ever  more  oppressed 
by  taxation.  The  Khedive  (Ismail)  owns  more  than  half  the 
land,  besides  all  the  factories,  railroads,  etc.  He  lives  magnifi- 
cently ;  his  palace  and  gardens  at  Gezireh,  are  really  splendid. 
Cairo  has  six  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  and  their  name  is 
motley ;  you  never  saw  such  a  commingling  of  colors,  natural 
and  artificial.  It  is  like  a  perpetual  show,  by  day  and  by  night. 
The  streets  and  bazars  are  crowded,  but  the  mosques  are  deserted. 
The  Moslem  faith  is  declining,  though  not,  perhaps,  the  Mos- 
lem fanaticism. 

Mother,  I  have  seen  the  pyramids  of  Ghizeh  and  of  Sakharah, 
the  cemetery  of  the  Apis,  the  grand  old  Sphinx,  Heliopolis  fOn) 
where  Joseph  got  his  Avife,  and  where  Plato  studied,  and  Mem- 
phis, where  Moses  stood  before  Pharaoh,  the  monuments,  ruins 
and  fragments  of  the  oldest  human  civilization,  but  I  would  give 
more  to  see  you  again,  than  for  all  these.  May  the  Lord  spare 
you  and  me  to  meet  once  more  !  I  celebrated  your  seventy-fifth 
birthday  with  grateful  memories. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Stearns : 

Cairo,  Egypt,  February  28,  1870. 

It  is  the  last  day  of  winter  with  you  ;  here  it  is  like  the  last 
week  of  your  June,  only  finer  still— cool  nights,  at  midday 
about  70°  to  80°,  yet  always  tempered  by  a  delicious  breeze.  We 
have  been  here  now  nearly  a  fortnight,  enjoying  every  day.  It 
is  well  that  I  did  not  venture  to  return  home  in  the  autumn ; 
how  much  I  thank  you,  dear  friend,  and  so  many  others,  for 
their  kindness,  their  noble  liberality.  May  I,  through  God's 
great  mercy,  but  live  to  do  some  humble  work  for  our  beloved 
Seminary  and  our  reunited  Church  !  I  may  never  be  able  to 
work  as  much  as  once  I  did  ;  but  I  hope  and  pray  that  it  may 
be  a  more  sanctified  work.  Meanwhile,  what  great  things  you 
at  home  are  doing  for  the  Seminary  and  for  the  Church.  There 
is  some  use  in  working  hard,  with  such  stimulating  results.  The 
Seminary  is  doing  better  without  Hitchcock  and  me ;  so  much 
the  better.     I  congratulate  you  with  all  my  heart  for  your  part 


326  Hc7iry  Boynton  Smith. 

in  the  great  reunion  ;  and  liow  much  Prentiss  has  done  for  the 
Seminary.  How  often  I  think  of  and  pray  for  you.  I  thought 
of  your  great  loss,  on  its  anniversary  in  January ;  time  cannot 
lessen  it,  but  grace  may  make  it  even  a  blessing.  May  your 
home  be  full  of  comfort  and  peace. 

Here  in  Egypt  it  is  like  being  in  a  new  world ;  though  I  am 
half  sure  all  the  time  that  I  have  seen  it  all  before.  Oriental 
statistics  are  most  uncertain ;  but  in  Cairo,  tliere  are  i)robably 
half  a  million  of  people  ;  in  the  older  jmrts  of  the  town,  chiefly 
Arabs,  with  Copts  and  Greeks  in  narrow  streets.  The  external 
observance  of  Mohammedanism  is  declining  ;  its  fanaticism  sur- 
vives. In  the  old  Coptic  churches,  the  service  is  less  reverent 
than  in  the  mosques.  I  went  on  Saturday  to  the  mosque  Ezher 
(the  splendid)  where,  they  say,  seven  thousand  Mohammedans 
are  studying  the  Koran.  The  U.  P.  Mission  is  doing  an  excel- 
lent work.  Drs.  Lansing,  Barnett,  Hogg,  and  others,  labor  most 
faithfully,  aud  are  universally  respected.  Dr.  Newton,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, preached  yesterday. 

Under  the  Khedive  a  new  European  Cairo  is  growing  up,  by 
a  forced  and  desperate  taxation.  What  the  result  will  be  seems 
doubtful.  Can  commerce  and  railroads  regenerate  a  decrepit  and 
degenerate  people  ?  Can  a  worldly,  sensual,  and  oppressive  ruler 
build  up  a  nation  ?  It  is  said  in  Europe  that  the  slave-trade  is 
here  abolished  ;  but  slaves  are  every  day  bought  and  sold  in 
Cairo,  and  all  up  the  Nile  ;  and  for  every  slave  sold,  the  govern- 
ment receives  a  tax ;  this  I  have  from  the  most  unquestionable 
sources. 

I  breakfasted  (lunched)  the  other  day  with  Hekekya  Bey,  for- 
mer minister  of  foreign  affairs  to  the  able  and  unscrupulous 
Mehemet  Ali — a  highly  trained  and  courtly  gentleman,  most 
hospitable  and  genial.  The  partisans  of  Ismail  (Viceroy)  accuse 
him  of  croaking ;  but  he  has  a  keen  eye,  and  long  experience. 
He  looks  upon  the  whole  present  stimulus  of  Egypt  as  artificial, 
feverish,  oppressive,  and  extravagant  to  the  last  degree.  E.  g., 
the  Viceroy  has  built,  beside  the  railroads,  fourteen  palaces,  in 
the  last  eight  years,  and  stocked  his  harem  with  three  hundred 
concubines.  The  Moslem  hatred  of  the  Europeans,  especially  of 
the  women  by  whom  the  Viceroy  is  surrounded,  broke  forth  in 
violence  at  the  time  of  the  last  Mecca  pilgrimage  (about  Janu- 


Europe  and  the  East.  327 

ary  27)  as  it  went  tlirough  Cairo  on  its  way  to  Mecca  ;  white 
women  were  pelted  with  stones.  The  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  millions  of  Moslems  will  still  make  a  fight  for  their  faith 
and  manners.  The  game  of  the  Khedive  is  hazardous ;  his 
father  and  uncle  both  died  from  poison. 

Many  Americans  are  traveling  in  the  East ;  about  one  hundred 
in  Cairo  the  last  fortnight.  Edward  Prime  and  wife,  of  the 
Observer  ;  William  Prime  and  wife ;  the  Van  Rensselaers,  etc., 
etc.  Another  American  party  starts  with  us  for  Sinai — viz.  : 
Di'.  Lyman  (Episcopal),  Eeverdy  Johnson,  Jr.,  etc. 

Best  love  to  George,  when  you  see  him.  AVhen  shall  we  three 
meet  again  ?    Early  in  next  September,  let  us  hope. 

To  Hon.  Erastus  Hopkins  : 

Cairo,  February  28,  1870. 

My  dear  Brother  Erastus  :  I  have  thought  of  you  and 
prayed  for  you  very  often  since  I  left  you  in  Heidelberg,  and  have 
wished  that  you  might  be  breathing  this  more  quickening  air. 
It  seems  to  me  it  might  do  you  good  if  you  could  only  come 
here.  I  was  never  in  such  an  exhilarating  climate ;  and  all 
around  is  strange  and  full  of  interest.     .     .     . 

I  am  very  glad  that  we  had  so  much  of  a  quiet  winter  in 
Heidelberg.  I  think  we  all  came  nearer  together,  to  know  and 
love  one  another  more  and  more.  Whatever  may  be  in  store  in 
the  future,  I  am  sure  we  shall  thank  our  Heavenly  Father  that 
our  two  families  were  allowed  to  become  one  in  these  past 
months.  These  months  and  days  of  pain  and  weariness  have 
their  compensations,  through  the  grace  of  Christ.  Perhaps  we 
judge  this  life  better  at  such  times  ;  certainly  another  life  be- 
comes more  real  to  us,  if  by  faith  we  can  lay  hold  upon  it.  Our 
light  afflictions  are  but  for  a  moment;  through  divine  grace,  they 
may  work  out  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding,  even  an  eternal  weight 
of  glory. 

If  not  on  this  side  of  the  ocean,  then  at  home,  I  hope,  dear 
brother,  that  we  may  meet  on  this  side  of  the  better  land. 

And  in  that  land  may  God  grant  that  we  may  all  meet  at  last. 

To  his  loife: 

Suez,  Sunday,  March  6,  1870. 

A  bright,  particular  day,  perfect  June,  with  breezes  from  the 


328  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Red  Sea,  just  before  us  ;  beyond,  the  sand  banks  of  the  opposite 
side,  where  the  Israelites  went  over ;  just  below  is  the  long 
mountain  range  and  promontory,  Gebel  (hill)  Atakah,  at  whose 
base,  perhaps,  Moses  (Ex.  xiv.  21,  22)  led  the  children  of  Israel 
across.  The  places  in  Ex.  xiv.  2  can  no  longer  be  identified. 
We  are  encamped  just  by  the  last  lock  and  the  basin  of  the  Suez 
canal,  with  a  view  of  the  narrow  belt  of  the  Eed  Sea,  and  of  two 
ranges  of  hills  (one  the  Atakah)  coming  down  on  the  Avest  side 
of  the  sea,  and  of  the  mountains  on  the  other  side.  To-day  we 
are  spending  quietly  here,  after  three  fatiguing  but  not  exhaust- 
ing days.  We  left  Cairo  Wednesday  afternoon  about  four 
o'clock.  ...  On  the  previous  day  I  went  to  Miss  Whate- 
ly's  school  of  a  hundred  and  forty  boys  and  sixty  girls  ;  saw  Miss 
W.,  very  pleasant  and  full  of  her  work.  .  .  .  We  made  a 
great  parade  near  our  hotel,  on  leaving  Cairo  ;  thirty-six  camels, 
and  about  as  many  men,  all  told,  for  our  two  parties.  That 
afternoon,  Wednesday,  we  went  out  to  a  camping  ground,  about 
three  miles,  and  pitched  tents  in  view  of  the  minarets  of  Cairo, 
and  just  over  against  Heliopolis,  and  near  two  or  three  of  the 
late  Pasha's  palaces.  This  camping  was  a  new  and  strange  scene. 
Besides  our  camels  there  were  some  twenty  more  of  the  same 
Bedouin  tribe,  and  the  Avhole  was  picturesque  confusion  ;  camels 
loaded  heavily,  hen-coops  and  turkey-coops,  barrels  of  water,  all 
sorts  of  provisions,  eight  tents,  great  grumblings  and  groanings 
of  the  camels,  loading  and  unloading,  and  the  loud  and  wild 
gibberish  of  the  Bedouins,  till  late  into  the  night ;  with  a  bril- 
liant sunset  of  the  fairest  tints,  and,  later  at  night,  the  sky  filled 
with  stars  and  constellations,  shining  as  we  never  see  them  at 
home. 

Thursday  morning,  bright  sunrising  ;  striking  tents  and  load- 
ing camels,  two  and  a  half  hours  ;  twelve  miles  in  the  forenoon, 
lunch  an  hour  and  a  half,  twelve  miles  more  of  riding,  and  again 
a  camping  ground,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  desert.  We  were  no 
sooner  in  the  tents  than  a  violent  rain  came  on,  with  thunder 
and  lightning  for  a  full  hour,  but  we  were  well  sheltered,  and 
had  a  good  dinner  and  a  fair  night's  rest. 

On  Friday,  all  the  way  through  the  desert.  We  made  thirty 
miles  on  camels,  and  had  a  cool,  overcast  day,  but  no  rain.  We 
were    pretty    thoroughly  tired,  but   woke    yesterday  morning 


Etirope  and  the  East.  '      329 

refreshed,  and  were  ready  to  start  at  eight  o'clock.  We  made 
eighteen  miles  before  dinner,  camped  an  hour,  and  then  eighteen 
miles  more  to  Suez,  arriving  at  eight  in  the  evening,  all 
together,  pell-mell,  and  did  not  get  shaken  down  nor  have  din- 
ner till  eleven  o'clock,  but  slept  well  afterwards,  and  to-day  we 
are  enjoying  rest.  ...  I  am  getting  to  like  the  camel  mo- 
tion ;  it  is  not  jarring  but  swaying,  and  as  soon  as  you  catch  the 
trick  it  goes  easy.  I  have  now  no  doubt  that  I  shall  be  able  to 
go  to  Sinai  and  back  here.     .     .     . 

To-morrow  we  cross  the  Red  Sea,  two  miles,  in  a  boat.  The 
camels  go  round  and  meet  us  on  the  other  side.  To-morrow 
night  we  encamp  at  the  Wells  of  Moses. 

The  Desert,  junction  of  "Wady  Feikan,  and  ) 
Wady  Esh-Sheikh,  Sunday,  March  13,  1870.  f 

Thermometer  80°,  breezy.  Here  we  are,  in  the  midst  of  this 
so-called  desert,  which  is,  properly  speaking,  no  desert,  but 
sand  or  pebble  plains  between  the  bold  peaks  and  ranges  of 
crumbling  mountains.  It  is  very  grand  and  solitary.  Eight  in 
front  is  the  Sheikh  range,  of  which  Sinai  (Jebel  Mousa)  is  a 
part ;  to  the  right  the  magnificent,  jagged,  serrated,  lofty  range 
of  Serial,  which  many  suppose  to  be  the  real  Sinai.  The 
mountain  called  Sinai  is  9,000  feet  high.  We  are,  in  a  straight 
line,  about  twelve  miles  from  it,  and  shall  reach  it  by  the  road 
(eight  hours)  to-morrow  afternoon.  To-day  w^e  are  enjoying  an 
unbroken  rest  (the  other  party  took  another  road  last  night, 
and  were  to  travel  on  to-day). 

This  week,  since  we  left  Suez  on  Monday,  has  been  wonder- 
ful ;  such  wild  scenery,  so  varied  in  wildness,  I  have  never  seen. 
Two  or  three  days  sand  plains,  but  the  most  of  the  way  has 
been  among  and  around  barren,  broken,  fantastic,  grand  peaks ; 
narrrow  strips  of  sand,  or  rather  of  pebbles,  between,  winding 
about  and  about,  through  long  defiles  on  each  side  guarded 
by  the  rude  hills,  changing  every  hour.  And  the  mountains 
have  all  sorts  of  hues.  .  .  .  There  is  more  of  shrubbery 
than  I  expected,  accacias,  gum-trees,  aromatic  plants,  some  still 
in  flower,  now  and  then  a  few  palm  trees,  all  dwarfed,  but 
springing  up  with  strong  life  in  the  midst  of  the  expanse  of 
sand. 


330  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

On  Monday  last  (the  7tli)  we  spent  the  morning  in  Suez, 
looking  round  the  basin  of  the  canal,  etc.,  looking  up  the  banker, 
getting  some  stores,  etc.  .  .  .  The  town  of  Suez  is  very 
rude  and  dirty ;  tlie  main  hotel  is  good,  the  head-quarters  for 
English  and  other  travelers  to  India.  ...  As  yet  we  have 
had  no  cause  to  complain  of  our  fare  or  care.  The  Bedouin 
Arabs  are  as  simple  as  need  be  ;  my  man  kisses  his  hand  to  me 
when  I  mount  or  dismount,  and  would  kiss  mine  if  I  would  let 
him.  A  little  present  (dates,  figs,  bread,  especially  tobacco) 
will  make  them  very  attentive.  .  .  .  Our  train  of  over 
thirty  camels,  heavily  loaded,  makes  a  picturesque  show,  wind- 
ing round  among  the  defiles  of  these  mountains.  One  big  camel 
carries  two  tents  (400  or  500  pounds)  ;  another  has  three  large 
blue  chests  with  the  kitchen  things  and  a  hen-coop  on  top  ; 
another  tlie  bedding.  On  my  camel  is  all  my  baggage  and  the 
camel's  beans  and  my  leader's  traps.  I  can  now  drive  my  own 
camel  (named  Sverra,  her  owner  is  Hussein),  and  evei;!  to  make 
it  trot  (very  hard)  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time.  .  .  .  We  are 
all  better  and  bearing  everything  right  well  and  enjoying  all, 
though  wishing  every  day  and  hour  that  you  were  here  also. 
The  weather,  thus  far,  has  been  without  a  flaw.  To-day 
it  is  superb,  very  warm  but  breezy.  The  nights  are  cool 
and  slumberous,  and  the  stars  keep  bright  watch.  The  moon  is 
near  its  fullness,  'twill  be  just  right  at  Mount  Sinai. 

Wednesday,  March  16. — Yesterday  we  ascended  Mount  Sinai, 
so-called,  both  the  peaks  that  contend  for  the  honor.  Our  camp 
is  right  under  the  awful  shadow  of  the  holy  mount.     .     .     . 

We  came  down  and  lunched  where  Elijah  is  said  to  have  been 
in  Hoi'eb  (a  chapel  there),  where  is  a  garden  and  a  cypress  tree 
a  hundred  feet  high.  Then  a  walk,  so  to  say,  inside  the  moun- 
tain, for  an  hour  and  a  half,  across  the  wildest,  grandest  masses 
of  rock,  up  and  down  and  winding,  till  we  came  up  a  hard,  nar- 
row, broken  ravine,  and  a  steep  climb  to  near  the  summit  of  the 
real  Sinai  (probably)  commanding,  just  in  front,  2,000  feet 
below,  the  plain  of  Rahah,  two  miles  long,  and  about  one  broad, 
large  enough  for  two  millions  of  people  to  be  in  and  hear  the 
law.  A  very  fatiguing  descent  down  a  steep  ravine,  and  to-day, 
fagged  out. 


Ettrope  and  the  East.  331 

The  moon  is  now  about  full,  and  the  view  by  night  is  very, 
very  grand. 

To  his  mother . 

SiNAiTic  Peninsula,  Sunday,  March  20,  1870, 

.  .  .  Well,  mother,  vre  have  been  up  to  the  Mount  of  the 
Law  and  are  about  half  way  back  to  Suez.  It  is  nearly  twenty 
days  since  we  left  Cairo  and  have  lived  in  tents  and  on  camels, 
and  in  all  that  time  we  have  not  had  a  rainy  day  (a  thunder- 
shower  one  night),  and  the  thermometer  has  been  from  about 
45°  at  night  to  80°  at  midday  ;  but  the  heat  is  every  day  relieved 
by  a  breeze  which  springs  up,  usually  from  the  north,  at  about 
nine  o'clock,  a.m.  and  continues  till  nightfall.  This  whole  pen- 
insula is  much  more  wild  and  grand  and  impressive  than  I  had 
sui3posed.  The  usual  notion  of  a  desert,  meaning  sand-plains, 
applies  only  to  a  strip  on  the  Rea  Sea  and  a  few  interior  pla- 
teaus ;  the  rest  is  simply  ranges  of  bold,  bare,  barren  mountains, 
of  all  shapes  and  hues,  witli  valleys,  or  "Wadys,"  made  up  of 
mountain  debris  between,  coursing  in  all  directions,  fertile 
where  there  arc  springs,  but  otherwise  just  tufted  with  low, 
coarse  shrubs,  some  highly  odorous,  such  as  only  camels  and 
goats  can  browse  upon. 

The  mountains  are  low  on  the  edge  of  the  desert  and  near  the 
sea,  and  gradually  heighten  as  you  advance,  until,  at  Sinai  and 
its  neighborhood,  they  reach  a  height  of  9,000  feet.  They  are 
at  first  of  limestone,  then  sandstone  in  all  varieties,  then  sienite 
(red  granite)  mixed  with  porphyry.  Many  of  the  ridges  are 
shot  through  for  miles  with  what  seems  like  basaltic  (volcanic) 
rifts  or  seams,  which  are  left  exposed  in  long  lines,  as  the  more 
friable  materials  are  eaten  up  by  the  elements.  Such  infinite 
variety  of  wild  beauty  and  solemn  grandeur,  such  a  wealth  of 
rock  colors,  ...  I  think  must  be  unique.  I  never  saw 
anything  like  it ;  it  is  a  perpetual  revelry  for  the  eye.  And  the 
shapes  arc  as  varied  as  the  hues. 

The  Sinaitic  range  is  the  grandest  of  all ;  but  there  are  two 
masses  that  contend  for  the  supremacy,  and  even  for  the  sacred 
name  of  "  Mountain  of  the  Law."  One  of  these,  *'Serbal,"  is 
doubtless  the  most  prominent  and  imposing  object  in  the  Penin- 
sula, a  long,  jagged  yet  artistic  line  of  peaks  and  domes,  one  of 


332  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

the  most  beautiful  as  well  as  splendid  of  mountain  ranges. 
Some  suppose  that  on  the  dominant  central  peak  the  Law  was 
given  ;  but  there  is  a  want  of  breadth  at  the  base  ;  ravines  run 
near  it ;  the  valleys  that  lead  to  it  are  rugged,  though  near  it 
runs  the  Wady  Feiran,  the  Paradise  of  the  Bedouins,  full  of 
palms  and  tamarisks  and  running  water. 

The  other,  probably  the  real  Sinai,  is  about  forty  miles  (S.  E.) 
further  down  the  Peninsula.  It  is  approached  from  the  north 
by  a  valley  two  miles  long  and  a  mile  wide  at  the  base — a  noble 
amphitheatre  for  a  vast  multitude,  fully  large  enough  to  hold 
two  million  spectators.  The  broadest  Wady  of  the  Peninsula, 
called  Esh-Sheikh,  also  leads  directly  to  it,  and  answers  all  the. 
needful  conditions  for  the  march  and  encampment  of  a  great 
nation.  The  mountain  has  two  faces,  one  on  the  valley  above 
named,  and  the  prominent  peak  on  that  side  (the  central  one 
of  three)  is  now  called  Sussafeh,  and  is  probably  the  mount ;  the 
other,  southern  side,  is  the  traditional  Sinai  of  the  monks,  with 
a  bolder  face,  but  less  accessible  and  a  narrower  plateau  in  front. 

We  ascended  both  peaks  last  Wednesday  (16th.)  On  the  sum- 
mit of  the  latter  (the  Jebel  Mousa)  is  a  Greek  chapel ;  the  view 
from  it  is  grand  and  even  awful.  Right  across  the  mountain, 
for  a  mile,  through  deep  chasms  wrought  out  of  the  solemn  rock, 
we  went  the  same  day  to  the  other  peak.  The  convent  is  inter- 
esting, secluded — a  garden  in  the  wilderness,  with  a  rich  chapel 
to  which  all  kings  and  countries  send  their  gifts.  Here,  you 
may  recollect,  Tischendorf  found  his  celebrated  MS.  of  the  Bible. 

•^    '  Wadt  Badereh,  Sunday,  March  20. 

From  hill  back  of  camp  fine  view  of  the  blue  Eed  Sea,  with 
the  African  hills  beyond.  The  journey  back  by  Wady  Esh- 
Sheikh  and  Feiran,  the  paradise  of  the  Peninsula,  is  even  finer 
than  the  way  we  came.  Serbal,  as  a  group,  is  much  more  pictur- 
esque than  Sinai.  We  kept  the  range  in  view  two  days.  The 
Sinaitic  inscriptions  yesterday  in  Wady  Muk-heb  are  remark- 
able. The  coloring  of  the  mountains  is  beyond  comparison,  all 
the  yellows  and  purples,  and  olives  and  grays,  white  and  black  ; 
and  the  shapes  are  as  fascinating,  picturesque  and  varied  as 
possible.  We  are  encamped  near  old  mines,  worked, 
Lepsius,  before  the  time  of  Abraham. 


Europe  and  the  East,  333 


LIFE  IK  THE  DESERT  :   CAMELS  AND  TENTS.* 

Two  parties,  keeping,  for  the  most  part,  together,  and  How- 
adji  and  Howadjiunes ;  thirty-two  camels,  two  camel  sheikhs, 
with  about  twelve  camel-leaders,  two  dragomans,  two  cooks  and 
three  waiters  ;  i.  e.,  circa  four  camels  and  four  attendants 
(Arab)  to  each  traveler. 

Iforning. — Waked  up  by  Arab  Jangling,  cock-crowing  and  the 
rising  sun,  about  six  o'clock  (in  March).  After  fifteen  minutes 
the  Arabs  begin  to  pull  up  the  stakes  of  the  tent ;  we  dress  and 
wash  and  pack  in  haste ;  in  half  an  hour  the  tent  is  scattered. 
Breakfast — coffee  or  tea,  eggs  in  any  hasty  way,  cold  meat, 
canned  salmon,  a  jar  of  jam,  crackers,  bread  ad  libitum  and 
hard,  Irish  stew,  all  in  a  mess,  but  enough — in  the  lunch-tent. 
Twenty  minutes  for  breakfast  and  then  the  tent  goes  down.  For 
four  persons  we  have  four  tents  ;  one  of  twelve  ropes,  i.  e., 
twelve  feet  diameter,  and  one  of  fourteen,  for  sleeping ;  roomy 
enough  ;  one  for  the  cook  and  dragomans,  etc. 

Camels,  sixteen  for  a  party  of  four,  loading,  and  while  load- 
ing keeping  up  a  most  disconsolate  groaning — for  the  camel  is 
constitutionally  a  grumbler.  As  soon  as  the  driver  makes  the 
camel  kneel  down,  and  begins  to  put  the  pack  on,  the  camel 
begins  to  grunt  or  groan  or  low,  and  every  time  that  any  new 
rope  is  tied  on  him,  or  any  new  parcel  put  on  him,  he  keeps  on 
groaning,  a  discontented  beast  !  When  the  rider  mounts  he 
snorts  worse  than  ever.  But  as  soon  as  the  loading  is  finished 
or  the  driver  mounts,  the  camel  marches  on,  it  may  be  for  ten 
or  twelve  hours,  perfectly  sure-footed,  at  an  even  pace.  The 
best  camel  of  our  party  bore  the  tents,  a  heavy  burden,  groaning 
and  growling  till  the  burden  was  put  on  his  two  sides,  and  then 
he  would  march  off,  strong  fellow  that  he  was,  for  ten  hours, 
even  and  straight,  and  not  need  food  or  water  all  the  way.  It 
is  surprising  how  little  the  camels  live  on  ;  stray  and  rude 
shrubs,  clumps  of  coarse  grass  which  the  riders  collect  at  night, 
two  or  three  quarts  of  beans  or  corn,  water  once  a  day,  and  all 
the  time  keeping  up  a  steady  pace  of  about  three  miles  an  hour. 
I  cannot  say  that  I  like  a  camel  personally  as  I  should  a  horse, 

*  These  pages  were  written  in  pencil  and  sent  in  a  letter. 


00 


34  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


but  I  respect  him  very  much.  The  walk  of  a  camel  can  be  en- 
dured, but  his  trot  is  cruel  (except  in  the  case  of  the  trained 
dromedary),  and  cannot  be  borne  for  more  than  five  minutes  or 
so  bv  any  invalid.  They  walk  easily  about  three  miles  an  hour. 
But  even  the  walk  is  a  perpetual  bobbing,. to  which  one  has  to 
get  accustomed.  It  is  rather  comical  to  see  a  squad  of  a  dozen 
persons  on  camels  loitering  along,  and  all  slightly  bowing  at 
every  step  of  the  beast,  first  forward  and  then  backward  ;  but 
the  feeling  is  not  as  bad  as  it  seems,  and  one  soon  becomes  ac- 
customed to  and  forgets  the  awkward  movement.  But  i^henever 
the  rider  changes  his  position  the  camel  gives  his  uneasy  grunt ; 
when  you  get  off  and  when  you  get  on,  still  he  snarls  and  groans. 
Eound  the  camp  in  the  morning,  when  thirty  camels  are  loading 
(at  breakfast),  they  are  all  clamoring  and  snarling  and  groaning 
as  if  their  last  hour  had  come.  Such  piusic  fills  our  air  morn- 
ing and  evening ;  it  is  worse  than  the  braying  of  donkeys,  and 
more  incessant.  Then,  once  in  a  while,  in  the  evening  and 
night,  you  will  hear  a  gurgling  sound  ;  it  is  still  the  camel, 
drawing  up  the  water  from  his  inner  sac,  and  drinking  it  afreshj 
not  fresh.  And  whenever  he  stops  or  is  going  slowly,  he 
evokes  a  cud  from  his  inner  buttery  and  chews  it  o'er  again. 

The  process  of  mounting  and  dismounting  is  peculiar,  too. 
The  driver  pulls  at  the  thong  round  the  camel's  nose  (no  bit), 
and  strikes  his  neck,  when  plump  he  goes  down  on  his  fore 
knees,  back  up  three  feet  high  in  the  air,  another  Jerk,  the  hind 
legs  go  down  ;  then,  thirdly,  the  fore  legs  are  drawn  under  ; 
fourthly,  the  hind  legs  ditto,  then  you  mount ;  the  camel  jerks 
up  his  fore  legs,  and  you  are  in  the  air,  at  an  angle  of  45°  ;  then 
the  hind  legs  come  up  and  restore  the  balance  ;  two  more  jerks, 
and  you  are  up  in  the  air  ten  feet,  and  he  begins  to  move,  and 
you  begin  your  day's  bobbing.  Isn't  there  an  old  nursery 
rhyme,  *'  We're  all  a-nodding  ?  "  The  camel-song  would  be, 
*'  We're  all  a  bobbing,  a  bib-bib-bobbing,"  etc.,  all  the  day  long. 

We  usually  traveled  from  seven  and  a  half  to  twelve  and  a 
half  o'clock,  and  then  lunched — cold  fowl  or  mutton,  preserved 
salmon,  sardines,  jam  of  some  sort,  nuts,  figs,  oranges,  wine  or 
ale ;  then  a  bit  of  a  nap,  stay  about  an  hour  and  a  half ;  the 
signal  to  start  is  given,  in  ten  minutes  camp  is  struck,  camels 
going,  and  the  place  knows  us  no  more. 


Europe  and  the  East.  335 ' 

The  afternoon's  ride  was  usually  three  to  three  and  a  half 
hours.  The  pack  camels  do  not  stop  to  lunch,  but  keep  trudg- 
ing on,  and  get  to  the  camping  ground  about  half  an  hour  be- 
fore us.  We  see  froui  afar  the  white  tents.  As  soon  as  we  get 
into  tent  and  dismount  (reversing  the  process  of  the  morning), 
tea  is  ready.  It  usually  took  an  old  Arab  cook  two  and  a  half 
to  three  hours  to  get  dinner  ready — half-past  seven  to  eight 
o'clock,  and  dinner  was  always  quite  an  affair,  about  an  hour 
long.  Soup,  roast  or  boiled  chickens  or  turkeys,  and  roast  or 
boiled  mutton,  sometimes  fish  ;  peas  or  beans,  canned  ;  apples 
or  pears,  a  fresh  compote,  figs,  raisins,  nuts,  crackers,  cheese, 
etc.,  etc.  We  really  lived  exceedingly  well.  The  dragomans, 
both  on  the  Nile  and  in  the  desert  and  in  Syria,  are  ambitious 
each  to  set  the  best  table.  Some  of  the  Nile  boats  are  fitted  up 
lavishly,  and  the  living  in  them  is  quite  as  good  as  in  the  best 
hotels.  Our  whole  outfit,  tents,  furniture,  table  service,  cook- 
ing utensils,  linen  for  tables,  and  beds  and  bedding,  were  en- 
tirely new  when  we  left  Cairo.  The  expense,  of  course,  is  con- 
siderable, and  rather  on  the  increase  from  year  to  year.  For  our 
Sinai  expedition  up  to  this  point  (from  Cairo  twenty-six  days), 
we  have  averaged  not  much  less  than  two  pounds  sterling  a  day, 
all  told.  In  Palestine,  our  contract  for  thirty-five  or  forty 
days  from  Jaffa  is  made  out  at  a  pound  and  a  half ;  but  other 
things  of  course  swell  the  tale. 

Each  camel  has  its  boy  ;  I  had  a  little,  straight,  well-favored 
chap  of  about  twenty,  who  walked  most  of  the  time  holding  the 
rope,  and  not  swerving  to  right  or  left,  bare  legs,  thin  and  wiry, 
erect,  shoulders  back,  no  shoes  (sometimes  sandals  for  rocky 
places),  always  attentive  and  pleasant,  living  on  cracked  corn  or 
beans,  overjoyed  when  I  gave  him  dates  or  figs,  and  especially  a 
bit  of  smoking  tobacco.  None  of  these  Bedouins  drink  at  all  of 
strong  drink. 

Port  Said,  March  27. 

.  .  .  We  came  here  yesterday  (Saturday  7th)  from  Suez  ; 
to  Ismailia,  by  railroad  ;  and  then  by  the  great  canal,  from  one 
to  half-past  seven,  p.m.  The  Bitter  Lakes,  Avhich  make  a  part 
of  the  canal,  we  saw  from  the  railroad — blue,  like  the  Red  Sea, 
with  the  desert  all  around.     At  Ismailia  we  took  the  steamer,  a 


33^  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

small  one,  making  eight  miles  an  hour,  and  for  a  large  part  of 
the  way  saw  chiefly  the  banks  of  the  canal.  For  twenty-nine 
miles  the  canal  is  l)uilt  into  a  large  shallow  lake ;  up  to  Ismailia 
it  is  made  in  the  ever-shifting  sands  of  the  desert  (for  a  large 
part  of  the  way),  and  can  be  kept  oj^en  only  by  constant  dredg- 
ing with  powerful  steam  machines,  which  pump  up  sand  and 
water  to  clear  the  way.  There  are  several  hundreds  of  these 
dredging  machines  at  work  almost  all  the  time. 

Port  Said,  the  entrance  of  the  Suez  canal,  is  a  new  town,  now 
counting  some  10,000  inhabitants,  rescued  from  the  waste  of 
sand  and  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  It  is  built  on  the  sand  ;  im- 
mense piers  and  moles  have  been  constructed,  so  as  to  make  a 
harbor  on  the  insecure  coast.  The  buildings,  with  few  excep- 
tions, are  one  story  high,  roughly  constructed,  like  our  new 
American  towns  ;  all  is  to  be  torn  down. 

We  hear  that  the  boat  is  detained,  and  we  must  stay  here  till 
Tuesday,  not  a  pleasant  prospect  in  such  a  rude  place;  but  the  rest 
will  be  agreeable,  for  we  have,  on  the  whole,  been  doing  rather  too 
much  the  last  three  weeks,  full  of  interest  and  profit,  spiritually 
as  well  as  physically,  as  they  have  been.  The  last  three  or 
four  days  of  our  desert  journey  were  rather  tedious  ;  the  sand- 
hills and  plains,  interesting  when  first  seen,  seemed  tame  after 
the  grand  Sinaitic  range.  One  fine  part  of  the  way  was  for  five 
hours  along  the  sea  where  the  Israelites  undoubtedly  encamped 
(Numbers  xxxiii.  10,  11).  The  place  of  this  encampment  was 
very  broad  and  ample,  and  the  vicAv  of  the  sea  and  of  the  African 
coast  and  hills  was  beautiful.  That  day  and  the  next  we  had  a 
regular  sirocco  and  sand-storm,  very  severe  and  debilitating.  .  .  . 
The  tents  could  hardly  be  pitched,  and  for  most  of  the  night 
the  storm  raged  and  howled — a  ''howling  wilderness."  But  on 
Wednesday  the  storm  abated,  and  no  rain  followed ;  and  by 
one  o'clock  we  lunched  by  the  Wells  of  Moses,  under  the  beauti- 
ful palm-trees,  and  in  the  afternoon  sailed  over  to  Suez.  S.  was 
full ;  two  Indian  steamers  and  a  British  regiment.  Lord  Napier, 
Sir  E.  Alcock,  a  crowd  of  fine-looking  Englishmen,  who  bore 
themselves  as  a  conquering  race ;  fair  and  pale  women,  and 
seventy-two  babies,  going  to  England  for  the  summer,  to  save 
the  babies'  lives.  A  party  of  six  other  Americans  came  with  us 
by  the  canal,  and  two  English  ladies. 


Europe  and  the  East,  337 

We  send  on  our  heavy  trunks,  full  of  Sinaitic  stones,  to  Dr. 
Van  Dyke's  care  at  Beirut.  ...  I  am  very  well,  very  brown, 
and  stand  the  fatigues  remarkably  well,  everybody  says.  I  had 
not  seen  my  natural  face  in  a  glass  for  a  fortnight,  when  I  ar- 
rived at  Suez,  and  thought  I  had  got  Bedouinized. 

Good  Friday  and  Easter  in  Jerusalem. 

April  17. — This,  dearest,  is  an  event  in  one's  life  ;  every- 
thing seems  here  to  bear  more  directly  and  profoundly  upon  the 
question  of  our  salvation,  and  of  the  fact  of  a  personal  Saviour, 
incarnate  for  our  sakes.  Whatever  superstitions  or  even  frauds 
abound  in  the  traditions  of  the  rival  factions,  the  grand  historic 
facts  still  remain  ;  and  I  hope  that  I  do  really  believe  in  Christ 
more  than  ever  before,  and  believe  less  in  mere  tradition.  The 
Mount  of  Olives,  Bethany,  Gethsemane  (about  the  place)  still 
remain.  But  Jerusalem  itself,  as  it  now  is,  is  a  saddening  place. 
The  Christianity  is  of  the  most  superstitious  kind  ;  the  lights, 
processions,  rites,  seem  rude,  and  all  the  Christianity  there  is 
here  seems  overborne  and  trampled  on  by  the  domineering  Mos- 
lem.    I  shall  not,  on  the  whole,  regret  to  leave  it. 

I  must  give  you  just  the  outlines  of  my  itinerary  : 

March  29.— From  Port  Said  by  French  steamer  (very  good) 
to  Jaffa  (Joppa)  at  eight,  a.m.  What  a  motley,  and  noisy,  and 
rapacious  crowd  !  Landing  difficult,  just  one  cut  among  break- 
ers, in  bad  weather  no  harbor.  At  noon  on  the  Avay  to  Jerusa- 
lem, fine  orange  groves  in  and  near  Jaffa,  air  full  of  perfume. 
House  of  Simon  the  tanner,  and  grave  of  Lydia.  Went  to 
Eamleh.     Noble  church  towers  ;  good  camping-ground. 

March  31. — Jerusalem  !  Approach, not  the  best,  but  there  is 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  the  Mosque  of  Omer,  and, 
beyond,  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Narrow  streets  and  motley  popu- 
lation, no  wheels.  At  Damascus  Hotel,  in  a  low,  dark,  damp 
room  (afterward  changed).  Mr.  Calhoun,  missionary,  and  the 
Carruth  family  here.  Mr.  Prime  and  wife  at  the  Mediterranean 
Hotel. 

April  1.— With  Mr.  Calhoun,  etc.,  through  the  Via  Dolorosa, 
to  Church  of  Flagellation,  and  Pilate's  house,  out  of  St.  Ste- 
phen's gate;  near  this  a  reputed  site  of  crucifixion  and  entomb- 
ment of  Christ,  and  of  the  stoning  of  Stephen.  Gethsemane, 
22 


338  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

the  enclosed,  formal  garden,  not  the  true  one.  Tomb  of  Mary, 
full  of  votive  offerings  (crowd  of  pilgrims),  also  Joseph's,  neg- 
lected. Across  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Church  of  Ascension,  and 
foot-print  of  Christ,  down  to  Bethany.  Tomb  of  Lazarus 
(two  caverns),  hous3  of  Martha  and  Mary ;  back  to  Jerusalem  at 
twelve  o'clock.  A  morning  of  unequaled  interest.  I  never  be- 
fore saw  so  much,  and  never  expect  to  see  so  much  again.  .  .  . 
Same  afternoon  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  Greek, 
full  of  the  places  and  the  traditions  of  the  Greek  Church.    .    .    . 

April  2. — Mosque  of  Omer  (probable  site  of  old  temple),  with 
Mr.  Callioun,  Prof.  Park,  Carruths,  etc.  ;  very  interesting.  The 
mosque  itself  rather  a  disappointment,  the  architecture  second- 
ary, even  the  dome  is  not  imposing.  The  stone  in  the  very 
midst  of  the  temple,  borne  up,  it  is  said,  by  a  miracle  (being  the 
stone  that  fell  on  Mohammed),  really  supported  only  by  masterly 
art  and  imposture. 

Eode  all  round  the  city  with  a  party — Valley  of  Jehoshaphat 
and  Hinnom,  Pool  of  Siloam.  Saw  the  walls,  south ;  also  the 
Hill  of  Evil  Council. 

Sunday,  April  3. — Morning,  Bishop  Gobat  in  English  church. 
Afternoon,  most  interesting  and  touching  service  at  Dr.  Calla's 
room,  conducted  by  Father  Calhoun,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
godly  men  I  ever  saw  ;  remarks  on  Christ's  last  words,  and  dis- 
tribution of  the  elements  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  was  most 
affecting  and  absorbing.  Fourteen  present  (Hitchcocks,  Car- 
ruths, Dr.  Park,  Prof.  Ford,  etc.).  Afterward  to  Mount  Olivet 
and  Gethsemane,  etc.,  with  Carruths.     A  profitable  day. 

April  4-6. — To  Jericho,  Jordan,  Dead  Sea,  Mar  Saba  Con- 
vent, etc.  Dr.  Calhoun,  three  Carruths,  Prof.  Park,  and  I. 
Fine  weather,  not  hot,  as  is  usually  the  Jericho  plain.  Camped 
at  Old  Jericho  ;  grand  prospect.  The  broad  fields  covered,  for 
acres,  with  the  most  brilliant  scarlet  anemones,  and  other  flowers 
and  shrubs.  Jordan  wide.  The  Dead  Sea  really  beautiful,  too 
much  maligned  ;  at  its  ends  thirteen  hundred  feet  deep,  and  the 
sea  itself  thirteen  hundred  feet  below  the  Mediterranean.  The 
view  of  the  Moabite  hills  and  broad  plain  of  Moab  on  the  east 
side  was  very  impressive.  Nebo  and  Pisgah  not  pointed  out 
distinguishably.      Mar  Saba  is  an  old  Greek  convent,   with  a 


Europe  and  the  East.  339 

varied  history,  most  picturesquely  situated.  The  "Wilderness" 
of  the  Temptation  we  probably  passed  through,  and  saw  the 
place  where  Jesus  was  baptized  of  John.  To  Bethlehem  on  our 
way  back. 

One  of  his  companions  on  this  journey  wrote  after  his 
death : 

"Dorchester,  Mass.,  February  18,  1877. 

"  My  DEAR  Mes.  Smith  :  .  .  .  To  me  he  was  not  Profes- 
sor Smith,  the  great  theologian,  but  my  kind  friend,  whom  I  met 
and  grew  to  love  in  Jerusalem,  seven  years  ago  this  next  month. 
I  shall  never  forget  our  journey  to  Jericho  and  back  with  him, 
and  Professor  Park,  and  our  dear  Mr.  Calhoun.  It  was  a  rare 
opportunity  to  travel  in  the  Holy  Land  with  such  men  as  com- 
panions, and  I  am  sure  I  appreciated  it.  Our  talk  at  night  in 
the  tent-door,  as  we  sat  facing  the  Jordan  and  the  hills  of  Moab, 
is  one  to  be  remembered.  I  am  grateful  for  the  recollection. 
Then,  too,  perhaps  my  strongest  association  with  your  husband 
is  that  of  attending  a  communion  service  in  an  upper  room  in 
Jerusalem  one  Sabbath  afternoon,  when  Mr.  Calhoun  led  the 
service,  his  subject,  the  last  words  of  Christ ;  and  when  the  ser- 
vice was  over,  though  it  was  cold  and  windy,  your  husband 
walked  with  me  out  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  finding  a  quiet 
garden  of  old  olive  trees,  which  seemed  to  us  the  true  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  we  stood  looking  toward  the  city,  and  he  talked  of 
Christ  our  Saviour,  till  His  life  on  earth  seemed  a  greater  reality 
to  us  both  than  it  had  ever  been  before.  Both  he  and  Mr.  Cal- 
houn now  see  Him  face  to  face  in  that  other  Jerusalem." 

April  7-9. — Hitchcocks,  etc.,  off  to  Jordan  ;  had  a  rainy, 
haily  time.  Dr.  Post  here  from  Beirut.  Unexampled  weather, 
hail  and  snow  for  two  or  three  days  ;  Mount  of  Olives  covered 

with  snow.     Miss  S ,   an  English  lady  (niece  of  Lord  Pal- 

merston)  made  for  me  a  charming  sketch  of  Mount  of  Olives. 

Another  ride  round  the  whole  city  with  Miss  S ,  Miss  F , 

and  Dr.  Post,  including  all  the  chief  points — very  fine. 

Saturday,  9th. — With  Drs.  Park  and  Post  to  Mizpah,  two 
hours  out,  a  commanding  site  ;  on  return,  drenched  with  rain. 


340  Henry  Boyntoji  Smith. 

Sunday,  Ap7'il  10. — Eaiiiy.     Afternoon  with  Miss  S and 

Miss  F through  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  visiting  the 

chapels  and  different  churches  ;  many  processions  of  pilgrims. 
Also  to  the  gallery  of  the  new  dome.  The  Greek  Church,  the 
Latin,  the  Armenian,  and  the  Copts  have  churches  opening  into 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  This  church  pretty  plainly 
not  the  site  of  the  Crucifixion  (though  Dr.  William  Prime  of 
New  York,  now  here,  gave  a  lecture  to  prove  that  it  is). 

Monday,  April  11. — Weather  clearing.  In  the  afternoon  to 
Bethlehem;  met  the  Hitchcocks  returning  from  their  wet  expedi- 
tion. Fine  view  from  camping-site.  In  the  night  a  fierce  si- 
rocco. 

April  12. — Back  to  Jerusalem.  Some  of  our  party  on  to 
Hebron.  In  the  afternoon  Dr.  Post  and  I  made  a  crazy  expedi- 
tion, all  round  the  walls  of  the  city,  including  the  sacred  mosque, 
which,  this  week,  no  infidel  is  allowed  to  see  inside.  'Tis  con- 
sidered here  quite  a  wonder  that  we  went  through  unharmed. 
No  "Frank,"  they  say,  has  done  it  before.  The  Sheikh  of  the 
mosque  came  out,  just  as  we  were  through,  to  warn  us  off,  say- 
ing that  if  the  dervishes  should  see  us,  we  should  be  stoned  and 
perhaps  killed.  But  we  escaped  with  only  a  stoning  (which 
didn't  hit)  from  some  boys. 

April  13. —  .  .  .  Eound  the  walls,  etc.,  with  Mrs.  Hitch- 
cock. 

A2)ril  15-17. — Good  Friday  to  Easter,  the  Latin  Easter.  Great 
parade  and  processions,  and  mummeries.  * 

Monday,  April  18. — Left  Jerusalem  for  the  north. 

19^7i. — Encamped  at  Bethel.  We  have  had  a  heavy  rain  all 
night,  and  are  not  doing  much  better  to-day  ;  this  is  instead  of 
seeing  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  (Genesis,  28th 
chapter  for  H ;  see  also  Gen.  xxxv.  6,  8-15). 

Bethel,  April  20. 

I  had  written  so  far  when  the  tent  was  suddenly  blown  down 
in  utter  confusion.  I  found  myself  under  the  table,  surprised, 
but  not  really  injured.     This  letter,  on  which  I  was  at  the  time 


Europe  and  the  East.  341 

writing,  was  blown  away,  and  was  in  rain  and  water  all  night, 
and  here  it  is,  good  English  paper  ! 

April  20  (continued). — As  I  told  you  on  my  defaced  sheet, 
we  had  a  complete  overturning  and  drowning  out  yesterday 
afternoon,  all  of  a  sudden.  Prof.  Park  and  I  had  to  go  to  the 
Hitchcocks'  tent  for  a  time.  Ours  was  at  length  put  up  again, 
though  wet  and  slimy  to  the  last  degree  ;  and  there  we  had  to 
stay  through  a  severe  blow  and  heavy  rain,  all  through  last  night. 
Mrs.  II.  says  that  the  first  sign  she  had  of  our  going  down  was 
seeing  a  sheet  of  paper  flying  through  the  air,  viz.,  the  recovered 
sheet  to  you  ;  and  that  they  hardly  ever  saw  anything  more 
funny  than  the  appearance  of  our  tent — Park  in  the  midst  of 
the  ruins,  I  just  emerging  from  under  the  table,  the  whole  tent 
flat,  and  all  our  things  in  the  wildest  confusion.  However,  we 
have  got  over  it  very  well,  some  colds,  etc.  Dr.  Post  was  hap- 
pily here,  and  rendered  signal  service  all  round  ;  he  is  a  very 
accomplished  Arabic  talker,  and  a  great  help  on  our  journey.* 
Jerusalem,  in  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  was  not  good  for  any  of 
us  ;  it  wore  on  us  too  much.  I  fell  into  my  old,  sleepless  way 
for  a  week.    Now  we  are  getting  better. 

Nablous,  Shechem,  Saturday,  April  23. 
A  splendid  day,  which  we  have  spent  on  Mt.  Gerizim.     This 

*  Dr.  Post  wrote  aftei  the  death  of  Professor  Smith  : 

"Beirut,  Syria,  March  9,  1877. 

"  Beside  the  intercourse  of  many  years  before  and  during  the  theological 
course,  I  enjoyed  that  intimate  friendship  begotten  of  a  journey  together 
through  the  Sacred  scenes  of  Palestine.  I  became  sensible  then,  as  never  be- 
fore, of  the  gentle  charm  of  his  character,  and  the  unselfishness  which,  even  in 
his  then  weak  bodily  condition,  led  him  ever  to  prefer  the  comfort  and  grati- 
fication of  others  to  his  own.  At  such  times  one  might  be  excused  for  some 
impatience  or  thoughtlessness  of  the  desires  of  his  companions;  but,  during 
the  whole  month  which  I  passed  in  his  society,  I  never  saw  any  trait  of  self- 
ishness, nor  any  unrestrained  impatience  at  delays  which  could  not  but  have 
been  irritating  to  any  traveler.  We  have  lost  our  mental  guide  and  instruc- 
tor ;  our  seminary  has  lost  its  proudest  ornament  ;  our  country  is  poorer  for 
his  departure ;  but  we  have  lost  a  dear  friend,  not  too  great  to  feel  for  us, 
and  enter  into  the  secrets  of  our  hearts." 


342  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

is  tlie  noblest  region  in  Palestine  yet.  We  are  all  much  better. 
.  .  .  Thursday  we  went  to  Ai,  Ephraim,  and  the  rock  of 
Eimmon,  encamping  at  Zibbon.  Yesterday  to  the  old  seat  of 
Shiloh,  and  then  here  through  a  wide  and  fertile  valley,  amid 
lofty  mountains. 

April  2(j. — Tuesday  evening.  On  Mt.  Carmel— "the  sides  of 
the  North" — plain  of  Esdraelon  (twenty  miles  by  ten  to  twenty) 
spread  out  below  (the  most  brilliant  spectacle  you  ever  saw — 
golden  with  crysanthemums,  etc.,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach — 
a  broad  and  fertile  expanse)  ;  opposite,  Tabor,  the  lesser  Hermon, 
the  mountains  of  Gilboa,  the  hills  in  which  Nazareth  lies. 
To-morrow  we  go  up  to  the  reputed  place  of  the  sacrifice  of  Eli- 
jah, eight  hundred  feet  above  us ;  then  to  the  convent  of  Mt. 
Carmel,  one  of  the  best  in  Syria ;  on  Thursday  to  Nazareth  ; 
Saturday  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee  ;  in  Beirut  not  much  before  the 
7th,  then  to  Damascus  and  Baalbek.     .    .     . 

Damascus,  hot  Sunday,  May  8. 

.  .  .  Last  week  has  been  tropical,  thermometer  among  the 
eighties  and  nineties,  and  some  nights  up  to  85°,  but  we  have  stood 
it  bravely.  .  .  .  Two  days  from  CgesareaPhilippi,  at  the  base 
of  Mt.  Hermon,  by  the  shorter  route  on  the  Eastern  slope,  all 
the  way  in  view  of  the  snow-capped  summit  of  Mt.  Hermon,  a 
noble  boundary  to  the  horizon.  Csesarea  Philippi  has  a  com- 
manding site,  among  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  a  summer  resort 
for  Jews  and  Eomans  {e.  g.,  Herod  and  Caesar  Augustus  were 
here  together)  ;  now,  a  noble  and  perishing  gate-way,  a  Roman 
bridge,  a  few  rude  stone  and  mud  houses,  with  oleander-bough 
tents  on  top,  for  sleeping — a  ruin.  Back  of  the  town,  perhaps, 
the  scene  of  Christ's  Transfiguration;  here,  too,  possibly,  the 
healing  of  the  demoniac  (vide  Eaphael's  picture). 

The  so-called  ''Sources  of  the  Jordan"  are  several  fountains, 
two  or  three  of  them  large  and  noble,  at  the  base  of  the  Hermon 
group,  bubbling  out  of  the  rocks,  copious  and  perennial,  mak- 
ing the  plain  of  Huleh  and  the  Lake  Meron  to  rejoice,  and  giving 
birth  to  the  Jordan  Eiver,  which  is,  so  far  as  man's  work  goes, 
an  unused  stream.  .  .  .  Damascus  is  the  most  thoroughly 
Oriental  place  we  have  yet  seen;  the  rivers  Abana  and  Pharpar 


Europe  and  the  East.  343 

made  gardens  of  a  desert.  For  three  miles,  the  approach  to  it  is 
through  groves  and  gardens,  won  from  chaos,  and  bearing  all 
manner  of  fruit, — such  lemons  and  oranges  !  The  minarets  shine 
ont  from  afar ;  a  spur  of  Lebanon  runs  down  to  the  city  ;  in  the 
western  background  is  the  "snowy  mountain"  of  Hermon ; 
seen  from  the  western  approach,  it  is  like  a  fairy  vision.  A 
well-graded  ehaussee  goQS>  to  Beirut ;  fourteen  hours  by  diligence. 

To-day  (Sunday)  I  heard  Dr.  Lnmsden,  professor  of  theology 
in  Aberdeen,  preach  an  excellent  sermon.  Dr.  Duff,  too,  I  saw  ; 
he  is  visiting  the  Scotcli  Missionary  schools  here  (forty  in  the 
girls'  school)  ;  the  Mission  Church,  Irish  Presbyterian,  here  has 
twenty-five  members  and  three  missionaries,  Scott  and  Wright 
from  Ireland,  and  Crawford  from  America. 

.  .  .  Notwithstanding  heat  and  fatigue,  I  am  getting  bet- 
ter and  stronger,  week  by  week  ;  and  so,  I  think,  are  we  all. 
.  .  .  I  do  not  sleep,  perhaps  I  never  may,  as  I  used  to  do  ; 
but  all  the  sleep  that  I  have  now  is  perfectly  natural.  ...  I 
may  never  again  be  what  I  was,  in  ability  to  work,  etc. ;  but  I 
think,  on  the  whole,  I  am  very  much  better  in  body,  and  I  trust 
and  pray  in  soul  also. 

Baalbek,  May  12,  1870. 

We  left  Damascus  yesterday  morning  in  the  diligence,  at  four ; 
seven  hours'  good  traveling  to  Asturia  ;  .  .  .  this  forenoon 
up  the  magnificent  valley  Coelesyria,  to  this  j^lace  ;  hot  weather 
still  continues. 

We  are  encamped  inside  of  the  Temple  area,  the  grandest  ruins 
in  Syria.  I  have  never  seen  any  ruins  so  imposing.  It  is  next 
to  Karnak  in  greatness,  and  superior  to  it  in  finish.  Corinthian- 
Eoman,  finely  worked.     .     .    . 

This  Beeka'a,  or  Coelesyrian  valley,  is  admirable.  It  lies  be- 
tween the  Anti-Lebanon  and  the  Lebanon  ranges  (seven  thousand 
to  ten  thousand  feet  high),  and  runs  up  some  eighty  or  a  hun- 
dred miles,  by  ten  to  fifteen  miles  wide  ;  and  on  the  south, 
Mt.  Hermon  still  presides.  Where  we  are  encamped,  the  high 
range  and  summit  of  Lebanon,  covered  with  ridges  of  snow,  is 
just  in  front,  toward  the  west.  S.  W.  is  the  next  highest  Lebanon 
range,  also  of  perpetual  snow.  Below  the  snow  are  billows  of 
red  and  purple,  and  gray  and  white,  on  the  hill-sides  ;  then  the 


344  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

cultured  mountain  sides,  up  to  six  thousand  feet ;  and  then  the 
green  and  fertile  plain,  now  rejoicing  in  its  beauty.  To  ride 
through  it  is  a  feast  to  the  eye  ;  and  the  Baalbek  Temples, — on 
the  whole  I  am  inclined  to  say  it  is  the  most  romantic  place  I 
have  ever  seen.    .     .     . 

Beirut,  ]\Iay  23. 

There  has  been  no  chance  to  send  this  until  to-day,  by  the 
Austrian  steamer  for  Constantinople,  and  we  are  going  in  the 
same  ;  Professor  Park  and  I  to  Athens,  the  Hitchcocks  to  Con- 
stantinople. .  .  .  We  came  here,  by  a  fine  road,  over  Mt. 
Lebanon,  last  Saturday,  and  were  all  warmly  welcomed ;  have 
not  been  in  such  homes  since  leaving  America.*  I  am  with  the 
Van  Dycks,  who  are  all  kindness,  Park  at  the  Blisses,  and  the 
Hitchcocks  with  the  Posts.  Dr.  Van  Dyck  has  a  charming  fam- 
ily, and  is  a  delightful  companion  as  well  as  the  best  Arabic 
scholar  in  the  land.  .  .  .  It's  really  delightful;  a  fine  body  of 
American  men  and  women,  and  their  unusually  bright  children, 
•some  good  Scotch  and  English  people,  college,  high-school  for 
girls,  medical  school,  a  new  and  beautiful  church,  filled  by  the 
Arab  congregation.  I  am  strongly  tempted  to  come  and  stay 
here.  How  would  you  like  it  ?  .  .  .  Wednesday  to  Satur- 
day I  spent  upon  the  mountains  with  Jessup  and  his  lovely  wife 
and  children ;  place  called  Arbeih  (pronounced  Arbay) ;  theo- 
logical school  up  there,  taught  in  church  history  from  my  lec- 
tures and  books,  in  part.  Mr.  Calhoun  and  family,  too,  are 
there,  and  delightful.  It  is  twenty-three  hundred  feet  high,  air 
pure  and  cool,  and  the  view  of  the  sea  and  mountains  enchant- 
ing. 

To  his  mother  : 

The  Grecian  Archipelago,  ) 

Three  liours  from  Smj'rna,  May  27,  1870.  ) 

Mt  deak  Mother  :  We  are  steaming  among  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  scenery  in  Europe.  ...  I  need  not  say  that 
I  have  enjoyed  this  tour  in  Palestine  and  Syria.  Many  parts  of 
the  Bible  have  come  to  be  almost  like  a  new  book,  so  fresh  and 
living  when  read  on  the  very  spot.     To  be  where  Jesus  was  born, 

*  Drs.  Bliss,  Jessup  and  Post  had  all  been  his  pupils. 


Etirope  and  the  East.  345 

and  stand  near  to  where  He  died;  to  walk,  probably,  on  the  very 
road  He  walked,  up  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  to  Bethany  to 
see  Mary  and  Martha ;  to  be  on  the  hill  in  Nazareth  from  which 
He,  too,  saw  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  range  of  Carmel,  and 
Mt.  Tabor,  with  the  splendid  plain  of  Esdraelon  ;  to  be  on  the 
shores  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  where  so  much  of  His  life  was  spent, 
and  where  most  of  His  sayings  were  uttered,  all  this  makes  and 
leaves  an  ineffaceable  impression,  and  I  hope  it  has  deepened  in 
my  heart  the  reality  and  power  of  our  Lord's  blessed  kingdom, 
and  fitted  me  better  to  teach  others  its  gracious  truths.  .  .  . 
I  only  wish  that  I  had  gone  to  Palestine  years  ago  ;  I  am  sure  I 
should,  at  least,  have  been  a  better  professor  of  theology.  .  .  . 
I  send  this  to  Horatio,  with  best  love  to  him  and  S.  and  all  theirs. 
How  I  long  to  see  them  and  you,  dear  mother.  The  East  is 
well  enough  for  a  few  weeks  or  months,  but  America,  liome — 
is  the  best  of  all.  There  is  more  living  Christianity  in  the  United 
States  than  in  all  the  East,  and  in  two-thirds  of  Europe.  .  .  . 
The  Lord  bless  and  keep  you  and  me  and  all  of  us  to  meet  again. 

To  his  wife : 

May  28. 

We  sailed  from  Beirut,  May  23,  our  friends  attending  us  to 
the  last,  with  their  urgent  hospitalities.     .     .     . 

Tuesday  morning,  May  24.— Island  of  Cyprus— spent  day 
there ;  beautiful  collection  of  antiquarian  objects  by  our  consul. 
General  Cesnola,  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars ;  many  gold  orna- 
ments, Assyrian  and  Phoenician.  He  discovered,  two  months 
ago,  a  temple  of  Venus,  got  out  hundreds  of  Assyrian  and  Phoe- 
nician statues,  and  other  objects  of  "virtue  and  bigotry  ;"  very- 
polite  to  us. 

This  morning,  Thursday,  we  reached  Rhodes,  at  four  ;  i-ose  at 
five  and  went  ashore.  Hospital  of  Knights  of  St.  John,  and 
churches,  some  five  remain  ;  the  island  is  beautiful ;  Mt.  Tairos 
forty-five  hundred  feet  high ;  the  site  of  the  Colossus  is  still 
pointed  out. 

To-day  we  are  steaming  up  the  Archipelago,  along  the  coast  of 
Anatolia,  a  warm,  sultry  day,  relieved  by  fair  scenery,  islands 
which  are  hills  (volcanic),  in  an  endless  profusion  of  form — the 
blue  sea — on  the  whole,  as  fair  a  scene  as  you  ever  gazed  on. 


346  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Smyrna  Harbor,  May  29,  1870. 

Yesterday  I  posted  a  letter  for  you  in  Smyrna,  and  then  went 
on  a  donkey  with  Mr.  H ,  of  jS^ewark,  to  the  citadel  (exten- 
sive ruins)  back  of  the  city,  commanding  a  grand  view  of  this 
beautiful  harbor  and  town,  with  a  panorama  of  far-reaching 
hills.  Smyrna  is  a  striking  place  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  inhabitants,  one  half  of  Avhom  are  Greek.  The  houses 
are  better  built,  and  the  style  of  things  is  cleanlier,  more  Euro- 
pean than  we  have  been  used  to  of  late.  Polycarp's  burial-place 
we  also  went  to  see.  The  earliest  missionaries  to  France  went 
from  this  place. 

To-day  we  were  to  go  to  Ephesus,  forty-eight  miles,  by  special 
train  ;  but  our  consul  advised  against  it,  as  twenty  brigands, 
driven  from  Greece,  landed  near  there  about  a  week  ago,  and  the 
government  troops  are  after  them.  The  consul  even  said  that 
the  trip  I  took  yesterday  to  the  citadel  (only  one  hour  off)  was 
not  safe,  and  that  everybody  was  coming  into  town  from  the 
country.  What  a  population  !  .  .  .  This  afternoon  we  sail 
for  Constantinople,  where  we  are  due  on  Monday  morning.  I've 
telegrajihed  to  Bliss.  And  in  C.  slian't  I  find  one,  two,  three 
letters  from  you  ?  .  .  .  A  Turkish  Pasha  is  coming  aboard  ; 
his  harem  is  arriving,  at  least  twelve  veiled  and  peeping  women  ; 
as  many  children  ;  as  many  or  more  servants  ;  five  times  as 
many  beds,  baskets,  packages  of  all  sorts  ;  general  confusion 
reigns  on  deck.     .     .     . 

Constantinople,  Tuesday  morning,  May  31. 

"We  arrived  here  yesterday  morning  at  five  o'clock.  Mr.  Bliss 
came  and  took  me  to  Bebek,  where  it  is  charming ;  my  room  in 
view  of  the  Bosphorus.  .  .  .  Yesterday  was  the  the  last  day 
of  the  missionary  conference,  some  twenty  missionaries,  etc.  I 
was  at  the  closing  prayer-meeting,  and  spoke,  as  did  Hitchcock 
and  Professor  Cameron,  of  Princeton  ;  many  old  friends.  Dr. 
Eiggs,  the  Eichardsons,  Schneider,  Washburne.  Hamlin  is 
building  his  noble  college  all  day;  spent  last  evening  here;  to-day 
goes  round  with  me.     ,     .     .     The  Bosphorus  is  magnificent. 

Wednesday  morning,  June  1. — Yesterday  we  went  all  round 
the  old  wall  of  the  city,  and  came  back  along  the  Golden  Horn, 


Europe  and  the  East,  347 

etc.;  a  fine  time.  I  also  called  on  our  ambassador,  Mr.  Morris. 
To-day  we  are  to  go  up  the  Bosphorus  to  the  Black  Sea,  and 
take  tea  in  Hamlin's  College  ;  and  this  evening,  Mrs.  Bliss  has  all 
the  Americans  here  to  see  us.     Everybody  is  very  kind.      .     ,    . 

Constantinople,  Saturday  morning,  June  4. 

.  .  .  We  leave  to-day  for  Athens.  I've  been,  having  such 
fine  times  that  I've  had  no  time  to  write,  but  I'm  getting  better. 
Constantinople  is  charming,  and  so  are  the  people. 

Yesterday  to  see  the  Sultan  go  in  a  boat  to  the  Mosque,  a  great 
display  ;  also  to  the  Sweet  "Waters  of  Asia — a  festive  place — 
thousands  there.  Thursday,  saw  the  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia,  and 
all  the  other  mosques  and  public  places. 

June  5,  1870. — ISTearing  Syra,  where  we  change  boats  for 
Athens  ;  perfect  air  and  sailing  through  this  lovely  Archipelago. 
All  things  look  propitious.  .  .  .  The  weather  was  cool  and 
delightful  at  Constantinople.  .  .  .  Such  a  site  for  a  city  the 
world  has  not  elsewhere,  so  far  as  I  know. 

Wednesday,  June  15. — Adriatic,  off  Lissa,  where  was  the  great 
naval  fight  in  ISGG.  I  am  coming  on  to  you  as  fast  as  steam 
can  bring  me,  and  having  such  fine  weather  and  such  splendid 
views  all  along.  Yesterday,  at  Corfu,  I  parted  company  with 
Professor  Park,  mucli  to  my  regret,  after  four  months  of  being 
together,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  day  and  night.  He  has 
been  a  true  friend,  always  a  kind  as  well  as  a  most  interesting 
companion  ;  he  goes  to  Eome,  etc. 

We  left  Athens,  .  .  .  took  a  boat  at  the  Piraeus,  then 
crossed  the  Isthmus  to  the  Bay  of  Corinth— very  magnificent ; 
and  we  have  been  ever  since  sailing  through  the  Archipelago,  by 
the  Ionian  Islands  (Zante,  Cephalonia,  Corfu),  all  very  beautiful ; 
and  now  we  are  in  the  broader  Adriatic,  not  far  from  the  coast 
of  Dalmatia.  ...  At  Athens  we  had  a  capital  time,  .  .  . 
the  heat  was  almost  all  the  time  tempered  by  breezes  from  the 
Phalerian  and  Salamine  bays.  One  day  we  had  a  fine  drive  to 
Eleusis,  without  any  guard.  .  .  .  Mr.  Tuckerman,  our  minis- 
ter, and  Mr.  Finlay.  the  historian  of  the  Lower  Empire,  were 
courteous.     Dr.  Kalopathakes  was  with  us  a  great  deal,  very 


348  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

kind  and  useful.  .  .  ,  We  saw  nearly  everything.  The 
Akropolis  and  the  Parthenon  and  the  Theseid  surpassed  my 
imagination.  The  moon  rode  high  and  the  nights  were  brilliant, 
and  all  the  ruins  were  lighted  up  with  a  befitting  splendor. 
Then  there  was  the  University,  with  a  thousand  students  and  a 
good  library,  the  girls'  High  School,  with  eleven  hundred,  the 
Academy  of  Plato,  the  Lyceum  of  Aristotle,  the  Stadium, 
just  uncovered.  At  the  outer  Ceramicus,  we  saw  a  charming 
sepulchral  monument,  just  uncovered. 

Charles  Lever,  the  novelist,  British  Consul  at  Trieste,  was  at 
our  table  in  Athens,  very  animated.     .     .     . 

Trieste  Bay. 
Thursday  morning,  all  right  and  bright. 

Vienna,  June  19. 

.  .  .  I  have  seen  Dr.  Oppolzer,  the  best  physician  here  for 
such  cases,  and  he  says,  go  to  St.  Moritz  for  six  or  eight  weeks, 
and  then  a  month  somewhere  by  the  sea-side.  He  says  he  thinks 
I  shall  come  out  all  right  in  the  fall,  ready  for  work.  .  .  . 
I  shall  then  go  to  Munich  on  Wednesday,  probably  reaching  M. 
Thursday  noon,  spending  Wednesday  night  at  Salzburg.  .  .  . 
The  Dr.  says  I  must  keep  out  of  the  heat.  ...  I  want  to 
get  to  coolness  as  soon  as  I  can. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  June,  1870,  Professor  Smith 
rejoined  his  family  in  Munich,  where  he  had  parted  from 
them  five  months  before. 

The  hopes  which  had  been  raised  by  his  letters  were 
not  justified  by  his  appearance.  As  usual,  he  had  made 
the  best  of  his  case.  He  had,  indeed,  gained  in  muscu- 
lar vigor,  but  the  weary  eye  indicated  the  still  weary 
brain.  His  friends  in  Beirut  and  Constantinople  had 
felt  great  anxiety  in  regard  to  his  health.  Professor 
Park,  too,  strongly  deprecated  his  return  to  work  that 
autumn.  The  advice  of  Professor  Oppolzer,  w^hom  he 
consulted  in  Vienna,  was  not  what  would  have  been 
given  to  a  patient  in  a  hopeful  condition.  He,  himself, 
now  confessed  that  the  fatigues  of  his  Eastern  journey- 


Europe  and  the  East.  349 

ing  and  his  exposures  to  the  Syrian  sun  had  been  far 
from  beneficial. 

The  meeting  in  Munich  had  been  arranged  in  refer- 
ence to  a  trip  to  Ober-Ammergau,  this  being  the  year 
for  the  decennial  performance  of  the  Passion  Play.  No 
description  in  Professor  Smith' s  own  words  is  preserved 
of  this  remarkable  representation,  which  impressed  him 
deeply  ;  he  gave  an  account  of  it  orally  to  the  ministe- 
rial circle  of  Chi  Alpha  after  his  return  to  New  York. 

Directly  after  this  he  proceeded,  with  his  family,  to 
St.  Moritz,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  the  sum- 
mer. There  they  were  joined  by  their  old  friends,  Rev. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Edwin  Bliss,  of  Constantinople,  and  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  James  B.  Gould,  of  Rome ;  other  friends,  too, 
were  in  the  vicinity.  The  place  proved  no  less  attract- 
ive and  beneficial  than  in  the  previous  year. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Woolsey  :     g^  ^^^^^^^^  j^^^  9^  ^g.^^ 

My  dear  C.  and  Z.  :  After  five  months  of  absence,  I  am 
enjoying  every  hour  of  being  with  my  family  again,  and  it  only 
needs  to  have  you  two  and  that  famous  grand-baby  here,  to  make 
it  quite  complete.  I  am  quite  eager  to  see  you  in  your  new-made 
house,  and  to  enjoy  it  with  you.  St.  Moritz  is  doing  me  good, 
as  it  did  last  year  ;  I  have  found  no  place  that  suits  me,  on  the 
■whole,  so  well.  We  are  all  feeling  sensibly  exhilarated  by  the 
cool,  bracing,  mountain,  glacial  air,  the  walks  and  drives,  the 
drinking  and  bathing,  with  plenty  of  people  about,  too,  though 
we  are  having  quite  a  quiet  life  of  it  Avith  Madame  Peters,  our 
former  hostess.  About  three  miles  off,  in  four  directions,  are 
pretty  villages  and  good  hotels,  where  we  can  go  and  dine  by 
way  of  a  pleasant  variety  from  our  not  ambitious  boarding-house 
fare.     I  have  not  yet  got  worked  up  to  glacial  and  mountain 

climbing,  but  hope  to  rise  to  that  pitch  before  long  ;  H will 

keep  up  with  me  anywhere  ;  he  is  well  and  has  improved  very 
much  this  winter— as  they  all  have,  I  think— so  that  I  feel  quite 
unfit  for  such  progressive  society.     We  hope,  ere  long,  to  have 

W from  Berlin.    I  have  now  been  here  ten  days,  and  if  I  keep 

on  improving  in  anything  like  the  same  (geometrical !)  ratio,  I 


350  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

shall  be  better  in  the  fall  than  I  have  been  for  years.  May  God 
bless  and  keep  ns  for  a  happy  meeting. 

To  the  same : 

July  17. 

The  last  report  is  that  France  has  declared  war  against  Prussia, 
that  French  troops  are  already  in  Baden,  etc.,  etc.  So  far  as 
the  immediate  occasion  is  concerned,  the  course  of  France  seems 
to  me  to  be  high-handed  and  insolent,  just  provoking  a  fight  by 
an  inexcusable  demand  on  Prussia  ;  but  you  will  have  all  the 
details  long  before  this  reaches  you.  It  is  a  great  pity  for  the 
cause  of  civilization  and  Christianity  that  England  has  ceased 
to  be  a  fighting  power — not  that  I  think  war  to  be  especially 
Christian  or  civilizing  ;  but  some  bullying  nations,  like  bullies 
themselves,  can  only  be  kept  in  check  by  brute  force.  And  if 
England,  at  the  outset,  had  said  to  France,  "This  Hohenzollern 
affair  is  none  of  ours,  but  if  Spain  wants  the  prince,  and  he  is 
willing,  England  will  not  object  but  will  stand  by  him," — if 
England  had  only  said  this,  there  would  probably  have  been  no 
war.  The  Times  has  been  toadying  to  tlie  Emperor  all  through 
this  business,  as  ever  before  ;  just  like  it  !  England's  turn  may 
come  yet.  No  nation  can  forsake  others  in  their  need,  in  the 
long  run,  and  be  safe  in  the  end.  England  is  valiant  about 
Abyssinia  and  Greece,  but  it  doesn't  dare  to  ran  against  France. 
It  has  got  into  the  hands  of  free-traders  and  the  like,  and  is 
fast  losing  its  Continental  influence.  Way  off  in  this  corner  of 
Switzerland  we  are  now  sheltered  from  the  storm,  nor  will  it 

probably  interfere  with  our  movements.    We  have  sent  for  W 

to  come  here  from  Berlin.  The  weather  has  been  quite  perfect 
here,  and  we  are  all  the  better  for  it.  I  am  feeling,  on  the  whole, 
much  refreshed.  I'm  afraid  that  this  war,  unless  it  be  only  six 
weeks  long,  may  seriously  interfere  with  the  Evangelical  Alli- 
ance in  New  York. 


To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss : 

St.  Moritz,  Engadine,  August  20,  1870. 

My  deae  George  :  At  length  we  are  thinking  definitely  of 
turning  our  faces  homeward.     If  the  Prussians  get  much  nearer 


Europe  and  the  East.  351 

Paris,  or  if  Paris  revolts,  we  may  be  hindered.  It  is  also  doubt- 
ful when  we  can  find  accommodations  in  the  steamers.  1  have 
written  to  three  lines  and  may  hear  at  Geneva  in  ten  days;  I 
could  not  write  before,  as  I  did  not  know  when  it  would  be  well 
for  us  to  start.  I  hope  now  to  leave  England  the  last  of  Sep- 
tember, at  the  latest  the  first  of  October.  I  suppose  the  Semi- 
nary Executive  Committee  will  give  me  so  much  more  rope.  I 
have  hesitated  about  any  final  decision,  for  I  wished  to  be  quite 
sure.  Dr.  Gould  and  otliers  say,  of  course,  that  it  would  be  more 
perfectly  sure  if  I  wintered  here  again,  but  they  do  not  veto 
my  return.  I  feel  myself  quite  convinced  that  I  can  get  along 
well  enough  with  my  usual  routine  in  the  Seminary,  if  directors 
and  students  do  not  expect  too  much  of  me  at  first.  I  must 
work  back  by  slow  degrees.  These  two  months  here  have  done 
me  great  good.     I  feel  well. 

A ,  of  course,  comes  with  us.     Even  if  there  were  no  war, 

I  should  hardly  be  willing  to  leave  her  (any  more  than  I  would 

M ),  unless  the  circumstances  were  extra  favorable  ;  it  would 

be  very  difficult,  I  think,  to  find  just  the  right  sort  of  person 
to  leave  a  daughter  with  abroad,  for  a  whole  year.     I  really 

hardly  know  what  Avould  induce  me  to  leave  M so.     This 

war  is  becoming  a  revolution;  Pm  afraid  the  "balance  of 
power  "  will  be  quite  changed  and  Pope  and  Emperor  become 
second-rate  and  antiquarian  !  The  Prussians  are  doing  wonder- 
fully, and  all  Europe  shakes  and  resounds  with  the  tread  of  these 
German  hosts ;  may  the  Lord  go  with  them  !— though,  if  the 
Prussians  do  not  get  some  defeats,  I'm  afraid  they"ll  become 
quite  unbearable-  -they  are  quite  self-sufficient  enough  now  ; 
Europe  won't  be  able  to  hold  them. 

How  I  long  to  see  you  all  !  The  hope  of  getting  back  to  my 
old  friends  and  my  old  work  is  like  the  hope  of  a  new  day  after 
a  dark  and  troubled  night. 

Farewell,  ever  yours, 

H.  B.  Smith. 

The  war  and  tlie  Vatican  Council,  still  in  session,  were 
the  two  prominent  topics  with  the  little  American  col- 
ony at  Madame  Peters'  pension.  Dr.  Gould  brought  in, 
late  at  night,  the  last  news  from  the  armies,  received  by 


352  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

dispatch  at  the  Culm  House,  while  letters  from  Mrs. 
Gould's  correspondents,  both  Protestant  and  Catholic, 
in  Rome,  kept  her  informed  of  the  less  public  proceed- 
ings and  incidents  of  the  Council.  Professor  Smith 
watched  its  course  with  strong  interest,  collected  the 
principal  articles  and  pamphlets  concerning  it,  and  wrote 
upon  it  for  American  readers. 

At  the  end  of  August  he  went  with  his  family  to  Lake 
Lucerne,  and  remained  for  a  while  at  Gersau.  On  the 
third  of  September  the  landlord  of  the  hotel  came  into 
the  dining-room,  and  read  in  a  loud  voice,  to  a  large 
company  of  guests,  French,  German,  English,  and 
American,  a  dispatch  announcing  the  capitulation  of 
MacMahon  and  his  army  at  Sedan,  the  surrender  of  the 
Emperor  as  a  prisoner,  and  the  flight  of  the  imperial 
government  from  Paris.  The  excitement  which  followed 
can  be  imagined. 

From  Gersau,  he  proceeded,  with  his  family,  to 
Geneva,  which  was  so  crowded  with  refugees  that  a 
resting-place  in  it  was  not  easily  found.  The  onward 
journey  was  made  by  rail  to  Basle  and  Mannheim, 
by  boat  down  the  Rhine  to  Cologne,  and  thence  to  Ant- 
werp and  London.  All  along  the  way  from  Basle  to 
Cologne  were  signs  of  war.  Soldiers  guarding  the  rail- 
road, clouds  of  smoke  over  Kehl  and  Strasburg,  long 
trains  of  fresh  troops,  wounded  and  prisoners,  extem- 
porized hospitals,  English  ladies  with  the  red-cross 
armlets,  German  officers  conversing,  in  high  spirits,  on 
the  incidents  and  prospects  of  the  campaign — all  these 
gave  great  interest  to  the  journey. 

The  American-bound  steamers  were  thronged  at  this 
time,  and  Professor  Smith,  after  several  unsuccessful 
attempts,  was  glad  to  find  accommodations  on  the 
steamer  France  of  the  National  line.  A  day' s  delay  in 
her  sailing  from  Liverpool  gave  him  time  to  make  an 
interesting  visit  to  Chester,  where  he  found  Dean  How- 
son,  whom  he  had  met  in  Florence,   and  Canon  Blom- 


Europe  and  the  East.  353 

field,  who  courteously  showed  him  the  cathedral,  then, 
as  now,  undergoing  the  process  of  rebuilding,  or  recas- 
ing,  by  an  entire  new  covering  of  stone. 

After  a  long  and  rough  passage  he  reached  New  York 
on  Friday,  the  fourteenth  of  October.  The  morning  of 
Saturday  found  him  at  the  Seminary,  and  the  evening  in 
the  beloved  circle  of  Chi  Alpha,  to  whom,  at  their  re- 
quest, he  recounted  his  history  during  his  long  absence. 
He  had  gone  from  them  in  feebleness  and  doubt ;  he  re- 
turned with  partially  renovated  health,  in  thankfulness 
and  in  hope. 

On  Monday  he  made  an  address  to  the  students  of  the 
Seminary,  and  on  the  next  day  began  a  course  of  lectures. 


354  Henry  Boynton  Smith, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LAST  YEAES.— 1870-1877. 

It  was  with  inexpressible  Joy  and  eagerness  that  he 
resumed  his  work  in  the  Seminary,  after  his  exile  of 
twenty  months.  It  was  an  experiment.  "  Got  through 
very  well,"  he  wrote,  after  his  first  lecture.  And  he 
was  able  to  go  on  for  a  time,  feeling  his  way,  as  it  were, 
in  an  uncertain  path. 

He  was  much  interested  this  autumn  in  the  collection 
of  a  fund  to  be  presented  to  Professor  Tholuck  on  his 
semi-centennial  "Jubilee,"  in  December.  Drs.  Prentiss 
and  Scliaff  were  his  co-workers  in  this  labor  of  love. 
As  the  result  a  sum  of  nearly  five  hundred  dollars  was . 
contributed  by  the  American  friends  and  pupils  of  Pro- 
fessor Tholuck.  "^  The  whole  fund,  collected  from  all 
parts  of  Germany  and  from  other  countries,  amounting 
to  over  six  thousand  Prussian  thalers,  was  devoted  by 
Professor  Tholuck  to  scholarships  for  academic  students 
of  theology. 

But  the  events  which  touched  him  most  deeply  this 
winter  were  the  deaths,  in  quick  succession,  of  his  two 
beloved  and  revered  friends,  Rev.  Albert  Barnes  and 
Rev.  Thomas  H.  Skinner,  D.D.  Mr.  Barnes  was  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Seminary,  and  Dr.  Skinner  its  senior 
professor.  With  both,  emphatically  with  the  latter,  his 
relations  had  been  those  of  close  and  warm  friendship. 
From  Dr.  Skinner,  as  we  have  seen,  he  had  received  re- 

*  "Dr.  Tholuck,"  as  Professor  Schaff  wrote,  "seemed  particularly 
touched  with  this  expression  of  sympathy  fi'om  across  the  ocean." 


Last   Years.  355 

peated  jiroofs  of  affection  during  his  absence ;  on  liis 
leaving  home  Dr.  Skinner  had  said  to  a  friend,  "/ 
would  willingly  lay  down  my  life  for  Dr.  Smith.'''' 

At  the  memorable  funeral  services  for  Dr.  Skinner  at 
the  Church  of  the  Covenant,  in  February,  Professor 
Smith  paid  a  heartfelt  tiibute  to  his  honored  friend, 
which  was  published,  together  with  other  addresses,  in  a 
memorial  volume.*  It  was  the  first  time  that  he  had 
spoken  in  public  for  years,  except  his  brief  address  at 
the  Waldensian  Synod. 

During  the  Seminary  term  he  was  able,  with  occasional 
interruptions,  to  deliver  his  course  of  lectures  to  his 
class.  But  he  was  sensitive  to  the  influences  of  the 
weather,  and  a  slightly  unusual  exposure  or  fatigue 
brought  on  insomnia  and  the  feverish  attacks,  which 
passed  with  him  under  the  general  designation  of  a 
"bad  cold,"  and  which  he  always  made  light  of,  as  acci- 
dental and  transient.  During  the  first  months  of  the 
year  he  had  repeated  turns  of  this  kind,  which  kept  him 
at  home  for  days.  These  days  were  usually  devoted  to 
reading  and  "  noticing"  for  his  Remew,  and  to  collecting 
materials  for  its  j)ages  of  "literary  intelligence." 

To  Ms  mother : 

New  York,  February  26,  1871. 

My  dear  ]\Iother  :  We  were,  as  always,  very  glad  to  hear 
from  you  again,  and  that  you  are  getting  through  this  trying 
winter  so  comfortably.  I  suppose  I  have  felt  it  more  from  hav- 
ing been  away  so  long ;  for  about  a  month  I  had  an  influenza 
on  me,  not  bad,  but  annoying,  and  the  perpetual  changes  of 
snow  and  melting  kept  up  an  irritation.  But  now  I  am  about 
over  it  again. 

Last  Wednesday  E.  and  I  went  to  Poughkeepsie  to  attend  the 
funeral  of  Miss  Lyman,  one  of  our  very  best  friends.  She  died 
of  consumption,  fighting  it  bravely  to  the  last.  Her  last  fort- 
night was  full  of  suffering ;  but  her  faith  was  calm  and  sure. 

*  See  Appentlix,  F. 


356  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

She  was  a  rare  woman,  to  whom  thousands  of  pupils  owe  a  debt 
they  can  never  pay.  In  organizing  Vassar  College  she  did  a 
work  no  one  could  have  done  better,  and  which  will  not  need  to 
be  done  again. 

March  26. — A  year  ago  I  was  at  Suez,  on  my  return  from 
Mt.  Sinai,  and  on  the  way  to  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem.  How  differ- 
ent it  is  here  and  with  me  now.  I  call  vividly  to  mind,  almost 
every  day,  the  scenes  I  was  then  passing  through.  I  was  gazing 
that  day  on  the  part  of  the  Ked  Sea,  where  the  Israelites  are 
supposed  to  have  crossed  over  on  dry  land — a  most  impressive 
place,  as  well  as  wonderful  history.  And  to-day,  in  our  pulpit, 
the  old  story  of  the  Israelites  was  told  anew,  as  fresh  as  ever,  by 
our  preacher,  Dr.  Humphrey,  of  Philadelphia,  with  whom  Dr. 
Prentiss  exchanges.  Dr.  H.  is  an  impressive  speaker.  This 
evening,  too,  we  are  to  have  a  meeting  in  behalf  of  the  Palestine 
Exploration  Committee,  which  has  been  recently  organized  here, 
in  the  hope  of  sending  some  of  our  missionaries  on  exploring 
tours. 

May  9. — Last  evening  was  our  Seminary  anniversary,  and  to- 
day I  feel  relieved  from  so  much  responsibility ;  the  rest  of  the 
summer  I  can  go  about  and  do  little. 

On  the  whole,  I  have  gone  through  the  term  very  well ;  I 
am,  in  fact,  better  than  at  the  beginning,  and  can  do  more  work, 
though  I  am  also  glad  of  a  respite. 

Next  Monday  I  start  for  Chicago,  to  attend  the  General  As- 
sembly, with  Prentiss,  Hatfield,  and  many  others  After  the 
Assembly  breaks  up  (about  June  1st,  probably)  I  may  go  up 
Lake  Superior,  or  out  on  the  Northern  Pacific,  etc.,  so  that  I 
shall  be  away  three  or  four  weeks. 

We  had  a  delightful  visit  for  two  days  from  Goodwin.  It  was 
good  to  be  with  him  again.  He  has  changed  outwardly,  but  his 
heart  and  mind  are  to  me  as  they  were  forty  years  ago.  What  a 
comfort  and  blessing  are  such  long  and  tried  friendships  ! 

To  his  wife : 

Chicago,  May  22,  1871. 

Saturday  I  made  the  report  on  Education,  and  made  a  speech, 
my  first  and  last  one,  without  doing  me  any  hurt,  and  Prentiss 


Last   Yeai's.  357 

says  it  was  as  good  as  ever.  I  am  glad  I  tried  it,  since  I  got 
through  so  well,  and  I  really  need  not  make  any  further  great 
exertion.  Yesterday  morning  I  heard  Sutphcn  (a  good  ser- 
mon) at  Kittredge's  ;  evening,  Upson  at  Goodwin's  church,  and 
a  part  of  Dr.  John  Hall's  sermon  at  Kittredge's — a  great  crowd  ; 
if  I  could  only  preach  the  gospel  like  that ! 

I  also  called  on  two  of  my  old  students,  Goodwin  and  Ilelmer, 
who  are  pastors  of  large  Congregational  churches  here  ;  another 
of  my  students,  Bartlett,  has  a  third  Congregational  church  ; 
twelve  of  our  Seminary  students  are  in  or  near  Chicago,  and 
twenty-five  or  thirty  (I  should  judge)  in  the  Assembly,  and  they 
seem  really  glad  to  see  me  again. 

I  think  it  possible,  if  a  good  company  goes,  that  I  may  join 
the  expedition  to  Denver,  etc.  It  will  take  about  a  week  more. 
It  must  be  grand. 

Do  not  be  anxious  or  troubled  about  me,  dearest.  I  am  doing 
very  well,  indeed,  and  sleeping  well,  and  bearing  the  Assembly 
well. 

June  2.  —To-day  has  been  very  fine.  "We  have  been  passing 
through  the  desert,  the  western  half  of  Kansas,  unsettled  ;  im- 
mense plains  of  stunted  buifalo  grass,  short,  stiff,  and  yet  nutri- 
tious. There  is  very  little  rain  here  ;  'tis  stopped  by  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  land  is  rich,  but  lacks  moisture.  A  lieutenant, 
Romayn,  on  board  has  been  at  Fort  Wallace  (where  Ave  shall 
sup  at  eight  o'clock),  and  he  says  that  the  railroad  and  immi- 
gration and  settlements  are  sensibly  increasing  the  rain.  All 
this  desert  may,  by-and-by,  prove  immensely  fertile  ;  but  at 
present  it  is  arid  plains.  We  have  seen  buffaloes,  antelopes, 
Jack-rabbits  (twice  as  large  as  ours),  and  great  numbers  of  prai- 
rie dogs,  and  prairie  cities;  they  live  in  holes  with  owls  and 
rattlesnakes. 

Two  weeks  ago,  one  of  the  passengers  says  he  passed  in  the 
cars,  for  twenty-three  miles,  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  herd  of  buffa- 
loes moving  northward.  They  are  not  at  all  afraid  of  the  trains, 
but  march  right  on.  Their  carcasses  are  all  along  the  line  of 
the  railroad — shot  by  sportsmen  from  the  cars. 

Our  company  is  a  very  pleasant  one— fourteen  ministers. 
Just  now  we  are  near  Sheridan,  mud  huts,  three  thousand  feet 


358  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

above  yon,  four  hundred  miles  from  Kansas  City.  There  is 
something  very  curious  and  wonderful  about  this  western  coun- 
try, so  fertile  and  unvaried  (one  station  is  called  Monotony)  ;  we 
have  been  in  Kansas,  traveling  by  railroad,  since  last  night  at 
ten,  and  we  shall  not  get  out  of  Kansas  until  about  nine  o'clock 
this  evening  ;  a  State  about  five  hundred  miles  long,  all  prairie 
and  '^desert." 

Denver,  Colorado,  June  4,  1871. 
Here  I  am  in  full  view  of  a  vast  amphitheatre  of  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  of  snow  mountains,  about  twenty  miles  from  the 
nearest,  in  the  capital  of  the  Territory.  Fifty  of  us  Presbyte- 
rians left  Chicago  last  Wednesday,  and  about  twenty  are  here, 
going  up  to-morrow  into  the  mountains. 


Central  City  (Black  Hawk),  Col.,  June  7. 

This  is  Wednesday  evening,  and  I  have  just  come  from  a 
prayer  meeting  here,  where  I  have  been  talking. 

We  are  having  great  times.  The  weather  is  cloudless,  bright, 
and  cool.  Monday  we  went  by  railroad,  fifteen  miles,  to  Golden 
City,  and  by  stage,  forty-five  miles,  to  Georgetown,  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountains,  all  the  way  mines,  etc. — twenty-seven  in  the 
party.  Yesterday  we  ascended  Gray's  Peak,  14,500  feet  high, 
higher  than  I  ever  expected  it  to  be — a  superb  day,  clear  as  crystal, 
and  a  perfectly  magnificent  view.  Fifteen  reached  the  top  thus, 
viz.,  twelve  miles  in  wagon,  a  mile  on  horseback,  two  hours 
climbing.  Guyot  made  the  scientific  observations,  etc.  Eeached 
hotel  fairly  tired  out.  This  morning  refreshed.  To-day  stage- 
riding,  fourteen  miles  to  Idaho;  took  hot  sulphur  bath;  six  miles 
on,  mountains  of  mines,  to  this  heart  of  the  mining  regions ; 
this  afternoon  visiting  mines,  etc.  To-morrow  back  to  Denver. 
I  am  getting  stronger  in  spite  of  fatigue. 

Kansas  Pacific  R.  R.,  June  9,  1871. 

About  half  way  down  from  Denver  to  Kansas  City  (on  Mis- 
souri Eiver),  warm  day,  endless  plains.  Dinner  of  buffalo 
meat,  antelope,  etc.,  very  good.    We  came  back  to  Denver  yes- 


Last   Years,  359 

terday  afternoon,  all  well,  though  jaded,  and  the  dispersion  of 
the  remaining  twenty  soon  began. 

I  had  thought  of  going  to  Salt  Lake,  the  ''  Garden  of  the 
Gods,"  the  South  Park,  etc.,  but  it  is  rather  too  early  to  enjoy 
these  places  to  the  best  advantage.  So  I  have  turned  my  face 
eastward.  Sunday  I  shall  probably  spend  with  my  former  stu- 
dent, Col.  Lewis.  I  stop  to-night  at  Junction  City  with  Dr. 
Monfort.  .  .  .  We  have  had  a  very  pleasant  party,  and  all 
regret  its  breaiving  up,  on  many  accounts. 

The  ministers  through  the  Territory  I  like  very  much  ;  they 
are  doing  a  noble  work.* 

This  whole  mountain  and  mining  region  surpasses  my  expec- 
tations. Such  an  energetic  population  is  seldom  found  ;  half  of 
the  miners  are  said  to  be  college  bred. 

Humboldt,  S.  Kansas,  Monday,  June  12,  1871. 

Yesterday  a  bright  day.  Col.  Lewis  had  help  enough,  four 
ministers  and  an  elder.  Mr.  L.  took  me  home.  Dr.  Kendall 
preached  in  the  morning ;  in  the  afternoon  a  nice  ride  through 
woods  and  over  plain  to  a  school-house  meeting  ;  evening  several 
addresses  at  church,  I  made  one.     All  glad  to  see  me.     .     .     . 

On  his  return  from  Colorado  he  visited  his  brother-in- 
law  in  Wisconsin,  with  whom,  and  other  clergymen,  he 
drove  to  a  ministerial  conference  at  Fond  du  Lac,  where' 
he  made  two  stirring  addresses.  "  We  little  knew  what 
a  weight  we  were  carrying,  nntil  we  heard  him  speak," 
said  afterward  one  of  his  companions. 

In  July  he  attended  the  Semi-Centennial  Jubilee  of 
Amherst  College,  and  afterward  spent  a  month  at  Old 
Orchard  Beach  near  Portland. 

In  September  he  preached  the  sermon  at  the  ordina- 
tion of  his  friend  and  former  pupil.  Rev.  T.  S.  Hamlin, 
over  the  Woodside  Church,  in  Troy,  New  York.  Mr. 
Hamlin  ^vTites  of  this  :  f 

*  Many  of  them,  among  them  one  whole  Presbytery,  had  been  his  students 
in  the  Seminary. 

f  Ntw  York  Evangelist,  March  8,  1877. 


360  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

« 

'*  In  kindly  consenting  to  preach,  he  said,  '  I  don't  know  how 
I  may  succeed,  nor  how  my  strength  will  hold  out ;  but  I  want 
to  begin  some  time,  and  I  might  as  well  do  it  now.'  The  text 
was  1  Tim.  iv.  15  :  '  Meditate  upon  these  things  ;  give  thyself 
wholly  to  them  ;  that  thy  profiting  may  appear  to  all.'  The  ser- 
mon was  a  powerful  plea  for  theological  training  as  a  constant 
requisite  to  the  practical  work  of  the  ministry.  We  all  knew 
beforehand  how  excellent  it  would  be  as  to  matter,  but  all  were 
most  agreeably  surprised  at  the  force  with  which  it  was  delivered. 
Many  passages  were  as  eloquent  in  utterance  as  they  were  clear 
and  cogent  in  argument  and  beautiful  in  language.  The  Pres- 
bytery unanimously  requested  a  copy  for  publication,  but  Dr. 
Smith  felt  constrained  to  decline  to  give  it,  as  it  was  largely  ex- 
temporaneous, and  he  could  spare  neither  time  nor  strengtli  to 
reproduce  it  in  writing.  The  regret  which  we  all  then  felt  at 
not  having  so  noble  and  useful  a  discourse  in  permanent  form,  is 
renewed  and  vastly  deepened  noAV  by  the  thought  that  his  voice 
is  hushed  on  earth,  and  his  pen  laid  aside  forever.  For  myself, 
that  sermon  and  the  touching,  tender  ordaining  prayer  that  fol- 
lowed from  the  same  lips,  are  among  my  most  treasured  mem- 
ories." 


He  had  come,  in  the  spring,  to  an  agreement  with  Rev. 
Dr.  At  water,  editor  of  the  Princeton  Remew,  to  unite  the 
two  Quarterlies,  which  had  been  the  organs  of  the  old  and 
new  school  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  This 
union,  one  of  the  sequences  of  "Reunion,"  was  consum- 
mated in  November,  1871,  and  the  consolidated  Review 
took  the  name  of  the  PreHhyterian  Quarterly  and  Prince- 
ton RemeiD.  Each  side  was  to  express  itself,  and  the 
interests  of  each,  in  case  of  the  resignation  or  death  of 
either  editor,  were  guarded  by  a  clause  in  the  contract 
of  agreement. 

Together  with  his  colleague.  Rev.  Prof.  Philip  Schaff, 
D.D.,  he  had  begun  the  editing  of  a  series  of  text-books 
for  colleges  and  theological  seminaries,  under  the  title 
of  a  "  Theological  and  Philosophical  Library."  The  first 


Last   Years.  361 

book  of  the  series,  "  Ueberweg's  History  of  Philosophy, " 
was  now  going  through  the  press.* 

It  became  evident,  before  the  close  of  the  year,  that 
his  health  was  by  no  means  re-established.  The  settling 
of  the  arrangements  for  uniting  the  Reviews  cost  him 
days  of  prostration.  In  December,  he  presided,  though 
in  great  suffering  and  weakness,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
newly-formed  Bible  Revision  Committee,  at  which  Dean 
Howson  was  present,  f  The  next  day,  and  for  many 
succeeding  days,  he  was  under  the  care  of  his  physician. 
Shortly  after  this  he  resigned  his  work  on  this  com- 
mittee. It  was  more  evident  to  his  friends  than  to  him- 
self that  his  physical  strength  was  by  no  means  equal 
to  his  resolution,  or  sufficient  for  more  than  a  regular 
modicum  of  work.     Yet  he  pressed  on. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  next  year  he  attempted  to  go 
on  with  his  work,  ordinary  and  extraordinary,  but  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  second  week  he  broke  down. 
When  somewhat  better  he  wi'ote  to  a  friend : 

I  am  jogging  along  in  the  Seminary  nits,  and  glad  to  be  able 
to  do  a  moderate  extent,  day  by  day.  On  the  whole,  I  am  gaining. 
I  have  given  up  nine-tenths  of  my  schemes,  and  am  gradually 
getting  loose  from  the  rest ;  and  so,  in  the  course  of  time,  I  hope 
to  come  into  a  comfortable,  resigned  state. 

This  morning,  by  the  way,  I  have  been  breakfasting  with 
Baron  Bunsen  (German  charge  at  Peru),  a  son  of  the  Bunsen, 
an  accomplished  man  of  the  best  German  sort.  It  has  quite  re- 
vived old  times  and  memories. 

But  I  must  be  off  to  my  Seminary  lecture  on  Decrees. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  of  January  he  attended  the  fune- 
ral of   his  brother-in-law,    Hon.   Erastus  Hopkins,    at 

*  After  the  publication  of  the  two  volumes  of  Ueberweg  and  of  Van  Oos- 
terzee's  "Christian  Dogmatics,"  the  series  was  discontinued. 

f  Arrangements  had  recently  been  completed,  through  Dr.  Schaff,  for  co- 
operation with  the  British  Committee,  and  confidential  copies  of  the  revised 
version  of  several  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  had  been  forwarded 
for  the  use  of  the  American  Committee.  ''   '"'•''"'   y*"' 


2/02  Heniy  Boynton  Sinith. 

Northampton.  Since  liis  return  from  Europe,  Mr.  Hop- 
kins had  spent  many  months  in  New  York  under  medi- 
cal care,  at  which  times  Professor  Smith  had  given  him 
the  attention  of  a  brother. 

During  February  and  March  he  was  under  treatment 
for  a  serious  and  painful  trouble,  which  interrupted  his 
lectures  and  all  out-of-door  occupations.  At  this  time 
he  wrote  the  article,  partly  a  translation,  "Bishop  Hef- 
ele  on  Pope  Honorius,"  published  in  the  April  number 
of  his  Reinem,  for  which  he  also  prepared,  as  usual, 
book  notices  and  the  literary  intelligence.  Among  the 
book  notices  is  a  critique  of  Dr.  Hodge's  "Systematic 
Theology."* 

About  this  time  he  undertook  the  revision  of  Mr. 
Plummer's  English  translation  of  Dr.  von  Dollinger's 
"Fables  respecting  the  Popes  in  the  Middle  Ages," 
adding  his  own  translation  of  Dr.  Dollinger'  s  essay  on 
"  The  Prophetic  Spirit  and  the  Prophecies  of  the  Chris- 
tian Era,"  with  an  Introduction  and  Notes. 

In  April  the  professors  of  Union  Seminary  went  in  full 
force  to  Princeton,  in  honor  of  the  venerable  Dr.  Hodge, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  profes- 
sorship. As  the  senior  professor.  Dr.  Smith  made  the 
address  in  behalf  of  Union  Seminary.  In  a  letter  to  his 
mother,  dated  April  29,  he  thus  refers  to  this  memor- 
able occasion : 

I  went  to  Princeton  last  week  to  attend  Dr.  Hodge's  semi-cen- 
tenary. "We  had  (E.  went  with  me)  a  very  good  time  ;  it  was  a 
noble  occasion.  Dr.  Hodge  was  duly  and  highly  honored.  Some 
one  said  to  him,  while  they  were  eulogizing  him  so  largely  :  **  It 
must  require  a  great  deal  of  grace  to  bear  all  this."  "  Not  so 
much  as  you  think  for,"  said  he  ;  "I  never  felt  so  mean  in  my 

*  Of  this,  President  Asa  D.  Smith,  of  Dartmouth  College,  wrote  to  a 
friend  :  "  Say  to  Dr.  H.  B.  Smith  that  that  review  of  Dr.  Hodge  is  about 
the  best  thing  he  ever  did  ;  so  kind,  so  conciliatory,  so  well-balanced,  and 
yet  so  discriminating  and  faithful  to  fundamentals." 


Last   Years.  363 

life."  I  made  the  short  speech  for  our  Seminary.  There  were 
fully  a  thousand  there,  and  at  least  five  hundred  speeches  not 
delivered. 

At  the  Seminary  Anniversary  in  May,  he  gave  the 
customary  address  to  the  graduating  class,  on  Theology 
as  a  Science,  which  the  class  requested  for  publication. 
On  this  occasion  he  invited  the  alumni  to  his  house, 
where  nearly  forty  of  them  had  a  delightful  reunion. 

The  first  volume  of  Ueberweg  was  now  going  through 
the  press  under  his  inspection.  He  also  resumed  his 
work  upon  Gieseler,  which  had  long  been  laid  aside, 
and  remained  in  New  York  through  the  early  part  of 
the  summer,  busied  with  this  and  with  library  and  re- 
view work.  Then,  with  his  family,  he  went  to  the  coast 
of  Maine,  and,  later,  made  a  j^leasant  trip  to  the  British 
Provinces.  While  at  the  seaside  he  wrote,  in  reply  to  a 
letter  from  one  of  his  former  students  : 

I  have  read  your  proposed  form  of  admission,  etc.  ...  I 
like  it,  because  it  does  not  proj)ound  doctrines  in  too  dogmatic  a 
way  for  private  church  members.  At  the  same  time,  I  must  say, 
that  I  decidedly  prefer  a  very  short  and  simple  form.  For  those 
baptized  in  infanc}^,  it  should  be,  on  their  part,  a  recognition  of 
their  church  membership,  and  on  the  part  of  the  church  a  re- 
ception to  the  communion.  They  do  not  tlien  "  join ''  the 
church  ;  they  are  church  members  by  baptism.  For  those  not 
baptized,  it  shoukl  be  a  general  acceptance  of  the  doctrines  and 
order  of  our  church.  This  is  my  theory  ;  it  is  the  Presbyterian 
theory.  I  hope  that  all  local  confessions  veill  come  into  disuse. 
In  your  proposed  formula  of  baptism  of  infants,  I  miss  the  rec- 
ognition of  their  church  membership.  Your  formula  makes  it 
chiefly  a  parental  act,  and  does  not  imply  any  relation  of  the 
child  to  the  church.     ... 

Accumulated  work  awaited  him  on  his  return  to  New 
York  in  the  heat  of  early  September,  and  before  the 
end  of  a  week  he  was  seriously  ill.  He  rested  for  a  few 
days  at  his  daughter's  home  on  the  Hudson,  before  he 


364  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

was  able  to  begin  his  lectures  toward  the  last  of  the 
month.  For  a  fortnight  he  gave  them  regularly,  and 
also  worked  at  times  in  the  library,  but  then  he  was 
obliged  to  stop.  In  his  own  words,  he  "lectured  too 
hard." 

And  so  he  struggled  on  against  the  adverse  current, 
always  hoping,  when  others  saw  but  little  ground  for 
hope  ;  and  always  the  hardest  of  task-masters  to  him- 
self.* 

During  the  winter  months  he  was  feeble,  and  his  lec- 
tures were  given  irregularly.  One  day  his  strength 
failed,  and  he  could  not  finish.  Yet,  even  now,  he  ob- 
jected to  so  much  of  the  appearance  of  invalidism  as  a  car- 
riage to  bring  him  home.  The  sufferings  of  his  weary 
brain  were  at  times  very  great,  and  from  them  there 
was  no  safe  relief  ;  but  these  were  times  of  the  utmost 
patience,  gentleness,  and  tenderness.  The  humblest 
members  of  his  family  felt  this,  and  responded  to  it  with 
rare  devotion.  And  the  less  he  could  receive  help  and 
comfort,  the  more  desirous  he  seemed  to  give  them  to 
others.  Never,  probably,  in  all  his  years  of  constant 
pain  and  weariness,  did  he  once  think  of  these — he  cer- 
tainly never  spoke  of  them — as  a  reason  for  withholding 
any  service  from  any  applicant.  His  unselfish,  unmur- 
muring, prayerful  endui-ance  through  the  long  night- 
watches  could  not  well  be  imagined  by  those  who  saw 
him  daily  at  his  post. 

The  election,  in  December,  1872,  of  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss 
to  a  newly-established  professorship  in  the  Seminary 
was,  to  him,  a  long-desired  event,  which  gave  him  the 
most  heartfelt  satisfaction.  But  before  Dr.  Prentiss, 
by  release  from  his  pastoral  charge,  could  enter  upon 
his  office,  his  friend  was  an  invalid  exile  from  what  they 

*  "  What  more  are  you  doing,"  wrote  Professor  Park  at  this  time,  *'  be- 
sides revising  the  Greek  Testament,  editing  DoUinger,  editing  the  Presbyte- 
rian Review,  lecturing,  editing  the  series  of  Theological  Books,  etc.,  etc., 
etc.,  etc.?" 


Last   Years.  365 

had  hoped  would  be  their  common  work  in  the  Semi- 
nary. 

During  the  first  months  of  the  following  year  he  en- 
deavored to  perform  his  usual  work,  though  with  still 
failing  strength.  His  large  correspondence  made  con- 
stant demands  upon  him,  and  he  made  his  usual  prepa- 
rations for  the  forthcoming  number  of  his  lievlew.  He 
gave  his  lectures  at  the  Seminary  almost  regularly. 
Frequently,  too,  he  worked  for  hours  at  a  time  in  the 
Seminary  library,  sometimes  imprudently,  in  very 
cold  weather.  Early  in  March  he  took  a  cold,  which 
affected  him  seriously  ;  although  he  still  lectured  at  his 
regular  hours  until  the  middle  of  the  month,  when  he 
completely  broke  down.  For  several  weeks  his  condi- 
tion was  alarming.  By  the  prescription  of  his  phy- 
sicians he  had  been  trying  to  keep  himself  able  to  lec- 
ture by  soporifics,  as  he  had  little  natural  sleep,  and  the 
ordinary  alleviations  of  insomnia  were  to  him  exciting 
rather  than  soothing.  Hydrate  of  chloral,  whose  evil 
influences  were  not  then  so  well  known  as  now,  and 
which  had  proved  the  surest  and,  as  he  had  been  led  to 
suppose,  the  safest  sleep-bringer,  had  poisoned  his  blood, 
and  its  effects  were  torturing  and  well-nigh  fatal.  For 
years  he  suffered,  in  one  way  or  another,  hourly  pain, 
which,  according  to  high  medical  authority,  was  trace- 
able to  this  poison. 

Toward  the  last  of  March  he  spent  a  few  days  at  his 
daughter's  home,  and  was  somewhat  refreshed  by  the 
change.  On  his  return  to  New  York,  he  met  his  class 
on  two  successive  days,  but  his  feebleness  and  inability 
were  so  evident  that  they  sent  him  a  united  request  to 
attempt  no  more  lecturing  during  the  few  i-emaining 
weeks  of  the  term.  Their  private  expressions  of  sym- 
pathy and  affection  were  very  strong  and  very  dear  to 
him. 

His  brother  and  physician,  Dr.  Horatio  S.  Smith, 
urged  the  necessity  of  cessation  from  all  mental  labor. 


366  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Accordingly  he  went  to  Northampton.  The  journey 
aggravated  some  painful  symptoms,  and  he  was  so  pros- 
trated after  it  that  he  was  unable  to  leave  his  bed  for  a 
week.  His  condition  caused  great  solicitude.  By  the 
imperative  advice  of  his  physician  he  most  unwillingly 
gave  ui5  the  thought  of  resuming  his  Seminary  work 
that  spring. 

At  this  time,  when  unable  to  write,  he  dictated  the 
following  letter  to  Dr.  Prentiss  : 

NoKTHAMPTON,  April  27,  1873. 

My  dear  George  r  We  are  very  sorry  to  be  absent  from  New 
York  to-day,  though  we  have  been  with  you  in  spirit.  It  is  a  day 
of  special  interest  to  us  as  well  as  to  you.  We  have  sat  under  your 
ministry  for  many  a  year,  and  want  to  thank  you  most  heartily 
for  all  the  good  you  have  done  us,  and  for  the  counsel  and  com- 
fort we  have  had  from  you  as  our  pastor.  Your  ministry  has 
been  an  untold  blessing  to  our  family.  All  our  children  have 
come  into  the  fold  of  Christ  under  your  guidance.  I  feel  that 
we  can  never  thank  you  enough  for  all  that  you  have  been  to  us. 
May  the  Lord  bless  you  and  yours  !  We  never  expect  to  have 
such  another  pastor.  I  hope  that  this  has  been  a  good  day  for 
you,  and  that  you  have  been  able  to  feel  something  of  the  bless- 
ing you  have  been  to  so  many  families,  who  will  ever  look  to  you 
-  as  their  best  spiritual  guide.  I  am  very  much  disappointed  that 
we  are  not  able  to  be  Avith  you  to-day,  and  celebrate  this  last 
communion  with  you.  Please  give  my  love  to  your  wife,  and 
tell  her  I  thank  her  very  much  for  the  kind  letters  she  has  writ- 
ten us.  I  have  found  here  an  excellent  physician,  who  has  taken 
hold  of  my  case  faithfully  and  done  me  great  good. «  Give  my 
love  to  Chi  Alpha,  and  tell  them  how  much  I  miss  our  seventh 
day  festival.  Every  Saturday  night  I  think  of  their  gathering, 
and  how  much  I  owe  to  the  fellowship  of  my  Christian  brethren. 

We  expect  to  occupy   Mrs.  H 's   house  in  her  absence, 

and  if  you  go  soon  to  Dorset,  why  could  not  you  and  your  wife 
come  and  spend  a  few  days  with  us  on  your  way  ?  It  would 
give  us  the  greatest  pleasure.  I  hope  that  you  will  have  a  good 
directors'  meeting,  and  that   something   will    be  done  toward 


Last   Years.  367 

pressing  for  the  filling  np  of  the  endowments  of  the  professor- 
ships. Also  that  the  opening  of  the  term  may  be  deferred,  at 
least  a  week.  I  hope  the  directors  will  look  leniently  upon  my 
imperfect  services  the  last  winter.  I  shall  send  in  a  short  report 
as  librarian.  As  to  my  Middle  Class  examination,  perhaps  one 
of  the  directors  or  one  of  the  professors  might  take  charge  of  it, 
or  it  might  be  deferred. 

Under  the  skillful  and  friendly  care  of  Dr.  Samuel  A. 
Fisk  of  Northampton,  lie  slowly  and  fitfully  regained 
strength  and  tone.  When  he  was  able  to  jonrney  he 
w^ent,  by  advice,  to  Saratoga,  as  an  experiment,  which 
was  not  successful.  The  waters  affected  him  unfavor- 
ably, and  there  was  an  increase  of  inflammatory  trouble, 
with  a  doubtful  issue  for  a  time.  Early  in  July  he 
went  to  Portland,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  sum- 
mer on  the  coast  of  Maine.  In  September  he  tried  the 
mountain  air  at  Jefferson,  N.  H.,  but  without  benefit. 
Late  in  September,  still  feeble  and  suffering,  he  returned 
to  New  York. 

The  long-deferred  general  meeting  of  the  Evangelical 
Alliance  was  held  in  New  York,  in  October.  No  one 
had  labored  for  it  and  looked  forward  to  it  with  more 
ardent  interest  than  he,  but  now  that  the  time  had  come, 
he  was  in  no  condition  to  take  part  in  it.  So  far  as  his 
strength  allowed,  he  attended  its  sessions.  His  house 
was  open,  day  by  day,  and  he  enjoyed  the  society  of 
many  friends,  European  and  American,  at  his  own  table. 
But  his  prepared  paper  on  Pantheism  w^as  not  read,  and 
the  only  public  part  which  he  was  able  to  take  in  the 
great  assembly  w^as  to  pronounce  the  benediction  at  the 
close  of  one  of  the  sessions. 

He  wrote  to  his  mother,  October  19  : 

We  are  subsiding  after  the  great  convocation,  which  was,  indeed, 
an  occasion  to  be  rejoiced  in  and  thankful  for.  We  saw  a  great 
many  old  friends  and  made  some  new  ones,  and  enjoyed  it  all 


368  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

very  much.  The  gathering  was  unprecedented.  No  past  Con- 
ference of  the  Alliance  has  really  done  as  much  for  its  main 
object.  The  enthusiasm  rose  and  grew,  without  let  or  hindrance, 
to  the  very  close.  I  would  not  have  missed  it,  even  if  I  had  been 
put  back  somewhat ;  but  instead  of  that  I  am  decidedly  better 
than  when  I  came  home.  I  lectured  at  the  Seminary  three  times 
last  week  with  no  bad  results  ;  so  I  begin  to  hope  for  the  best 
after  all  this  waiting  ;  though  I  still  expect  to  need  something 
of  the  patience  of  hope. 

Rev.  William  Adams,  D.D.,  LL.B.,  the  honored  pas- 
tor of  the  Madison  Square  Church,  was  in  September 
elected  President  of  the  Seminary,  and  Professor  of 
Sacred  Rhetoric.  This  had  been  much  desired  by 
Professor  Smith.  Simultaneous  with  Dr.  Adams' s  accept- 
ance of  this  appointment  was  the  magnificent  gift  by 
his  friend,  Mr.  James  Brown,  of  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  intended  specifically  as  a  fund  for  the  salaries 
of  the  professors.  This  was  a  matter  of  joyful  congrat- 
ulation ;  and  the  suffering  invalid,  who  was  to  have  no 
part  in  the  prosperity  of  the  Seminary  for  which  he  had 
labored  in  its  low  estate,  wrote  feebly  in  his  diary  that 
he  "  was  glad  it  was  so  good  while  he  still  lived." 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  IS'ovember  he  gave  to  his  class 
the  twentieth  and  last  lecture  in  his  "Introduction  on 
Faith  and  Philosophy."  The  next  day  he  was  hoarse 
and  ill.  But  he  joined  the  family  party  at  his  brother's 
house  on  Thanksgiving  day,  the  twenty-seventh ;  and 
after  his  return  home  in  the  evening,  held  a  long  conver- 
sation with  Bishop  Cummins,  who  had  come  for  con- 
sultation on  the  matter  of  his  resignation  and  with- 
drawal from  office,  and  on  the  "Indelibility  of 
Orders  "  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  a  subject  which  he  at 
once  studied  with  care. 

Through  the  first  week  of  December,  disease  made 
rapid  inroads.  In  his  own  words,  he  was  "running 
doAvn,  mouth  and  all  worse,  no  lectures."     His  brother, 


Last   Years.  369 

as  well  as  his  New  York  physician,  the  late  Dr.  E.  R. 
Peaslee,  so  eminent  in  his  profession,  considered  his 
condition  as  very  serious  and  alarming,  and  both  insisted 
upon  his  entire  and  immediate  relinquishment  of  literary 
work,  and  removal  from  the  inevitable  risks  of  his  New 
York  life.  He  consented,  although  very  reluctantly, 
and  it  was  decided  that  he  should  try  the  treatment 
at  Dr.  Foster's  Sanitarium,  at  Clifton  Springs,  N.  Y., 
which  had  proved  of  great  benefit  in  similar  cases  of 
nervous  prostration.  Accordingly,  on  the  ninth  of 
December,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  oldest  son,  he 
made  the  long  journey,  in  pain  and  feebleness.  Before 
he  left  his  home  in  the  morning,  Rev.  Dr.  Adams  came 
in,  with  expressions  of  brotherly  sympathy,  and  oifered 
in  his  behalf  a  touching  prayer:  "Lord,  behold,  he 
whom  thovi  lovest  is  sick !  " 

For  ten  days  after  the  wearisome  journey,  it  was 
doubtful  whether  he  would  rally  from  the  extreme 
exhaustion.  Drs.  Foster  and  Prince  each  visited  him 
several  times  daily,  and  watched  him  with  skillful  care, 
considering  his  symptoms  very  unfavorable.  After  a 
fortnight,  during  which  time  stimulating  rubbing  baths, 
gently  administered  in  bed,  were  the  chief  remedy,  he 
fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  from  which  he  was  scarcely  roused 
for  twenty-four  hours,  and  from  which  his  waking  was 
thought  doubtful.  This  was  the  crisis,  after  which  his 
improvement  was  surprisingly  rapid  and  constant. 

He  ^vrote  to  his  brother,  January  7 : 

I  am  steadily  gaining,  so  that  the  doctors  take  a  good  deal  of 
comfort  in  me.  I  now  go  down  to  all  meals  ;  have  a'  good 
appetite,  and  eat  all  proper  things  ;  and,  what  is  3'et  better,  I  have 
been  sleeping  the  last  four  or  five  nights,  without  any  foreign 
aid,  from  five  to  seven  hours.  Though  the  weather  is  damp, 
cliilly,  cheerless,  snowy,  foggy,  nasty,  and  all  that,  I  am  out  of 
doors  three  times  a  day,  walking  a  mile  or  so,  and  feel  the  bet- 
ter for  it.     There  is  a  gymnasium  (Dio  Lewis's  system)  here — 


370  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

every  day  exercises  at  nine  o'clock,  on  wliicli  I  mean  to  begin 
soon  ;  also  a  bowling-alley,  where  I  just  made  two  strikes  run- 
ning— which,  of  course,  was  purely  accidental.  The  Dr.  is  giving 
me  now  "brain  food  " — a  preparation  of  phosphates,  1  believe. 
My  nerves  are  quite  steady ;  muscles  picking  up  reluctantly,  and 
head  rather  weak  but  clearing  up.     How  I  want  to  see  you  all ! 

His  brother  replied : 

*'  Your  letter  does  great  credit  to  your  doctors  ;  I  could  read 
every  word  of  it.  And  you  are  in  the  way  of  finding  out  what 
doctors  can  do  when  they  have  a  fair  chance.  ...  It  mat- 
ters little  whether  the  care  is  called  Homoeopathy  (though  there 
is  no  such  'pathy'  now  practiced),  or  Hydropathy,  Avhich 
failed  in  Noah's  time.  Give  any  wise  man  the  control  of  his 
patient's  eating,  drinking,  and  sleeping,  his  goings  and  comings, 
and  he  will  cure  anything  but  the  *last  sickness.'" 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentis 

Clifton  Springs,  January  9,  1874. 

My  dear  George  :  Many,  many  thanks  for  your  letters,  and 
more  than  that,  for  all  that  you  have  been  to  me  and  done  for 
me.  What  a  blessing  it  is  to  have  such  a  friend,  in  season  and 
out  of  season. 

I  am  really  doing  wonderfully  well  here,  much  to  the  joy  of 
the  doctors  !  I  gain  every  day.  The  treatment  seems  just  to 
fit  into  the  weak  places  with  strength  and  healing  ;  the  general 
tone  of  my  system  seems  gradually  changing,  like  a  new  flush  of 
life.  Now  I  sleep  naturally  an  average  of  six  hours,  eat  Avell, 
walk  and  exercise  moderately  (am  beginning  on  Dio  Lewis's 
gymnastics),  read  and  Avrite  a  little,  and  the  days  pass  quickly 
by.  There  is  a  genius  loci  which  is  unmistakable.  I  never 
knew  so  many  patients  together  who  were,  as  a  whole,  so  cheerful 
and  so  religious.  Eeligion  is  really  a  part  of  the  cure  ;  it  tends 
to  hope  and  trust,  and  is  called  into  constant  exercise.  I  take 
some  tonics  (phosphates,  etc.),  two  bath-rubbings  a  day,  and 
the  rest  is  left  to  air  and  food  and  sun  (when  there  is  any).  The 
doctors,  Foster  and  Prince,  are  diligent  in  taking  care  of  me. 

Eeally  I  have  lectured  many  a  time  during  the  past  year 


Last   Years.  2  7 1 

when  I  felt  no  better  than  to  day,  and  wlien  my  bent  was  down- 
ward, too. 

.  .  .  In  respect  to  tlie  meeting  of  the  Board  next  week,  and 
their  action  in  view  of  the  probabilities  of  my  future  (on  general 
grounds),  I  want  to  add  a  word  or  two.  Those  probabilities  are 
more  in  my  favor  than  I  supposed  possible  a  montii  ago. 

Since  I  came  back  in  1870,  I  have,  with  all  drawbacks,  car- 
ried my  classes  through,  excepting  about  twelve  or  fifteen  lec- 
tures at  the  end  of  last  year. 

My  present  breakdown  is  not  so  much  a  new  one,  as  a  contin- 
uation of  that  of  last  spring.  I  ought  not  to  have  begun  to 
lecture  till  my  mouth,  at  least,  was  healed  ;  but  I  had  a  mor- 
bid feeling  that  if  I  did  not  begin  and  go  on,  I  must  give  up 
finally. 

Then  I  have  rallied  from  this  last  depression  in  such  a  way  as 
to  show  that  I  have  some  vital  power  left.  As  you  sav,  I  am 
*'  tough  "  in  some  respects. 

If  I  am  not  well  by  the  fall,  everything  can  be  so  arranged 
that  there  shall  be  no  break  in  the  department.  The  extra  cost 
this  year  I  will  gladly  assume.  .  .  .  But  you  know  all  this, 
and  all  about  it,  a  great  deal  better  than  I  can  now  write  it  to 
you. 

Please  give  my  love  to  your  wife.  Her  poems*  are  going  the 
rounds  here.  The  more  they  are  read  the  better  they  are 
prized. 

Meanwhile  the  exigencies  of  the  Seminary  must  be 
provided  for.  For  years,  with  the  utmost  tension  of  his 
enfeebled  powers,  his  work  had  been  irregular  and  in- 
complete. The  students  were  now  urgent  in  their  just 
demands  for  instruction  in  this  important  department. 
His  New  York  i)hysicians  gave,  at  the  best,  no  encour- 
agement for  the  next  year.  There  were  phases  of  his 
disease  which  well-nigh  shut  out  hope.  The  strongest 
efforts  had  been  ineffectual  to  secure  a  temporary  sub- 
stitute.    On  leaving  for  Clifton,  in  his   extremity,   he 

*  "  Golden  Hours;  Hymns  and  Songs  of  the  Christian  Life, "then  recently 
published. 


372  Henry  Boynton  S^nith. 

had  intrusted  the  matter  of  the  resignation  of  his  chair 
to  the  judgment  of  three  of  his  friends,  the  Rev.  Drs. 
Stearns,  Adams,  and  Prentiss.  With  great  reluctance 
and  pain,  after  consulting  with  the  President  and  other 
members  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Seminary,  they 
decided  that  it  was  best,  both  for  the  Seminary  and  for 
himself,  that  he  should  retire.  "Necessity  was  laid 
upon  them  to  take  some  prompt  and  definite  action." 

Accordingly,  on  the  13th  of  January,  he  wrote  his  let- 
ter of  resignation.  His  true  and  tried  friend,  Dr.  Pren- 
tiss, was  at  his  side.  His  letter  but  faintly  reveals  the 
sharpness  of  the  stroke,  and  the  tender  dignity  of  his 
submission  to  it,  as  the  will  of  his  Heavenly  Father. 

To  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the   Union    Theological  Semi- 
nary, Neiv  Yorh : 

Clifton  Springs,  N.  Y.,  January  13,  1874. 

In  view  of  the  uncertain  state  of  my  health,  now  continued 
through  several  years,  and  of  the  interruption  thereby  caused  in 
the  performance  of  my  duties  in  the  Seminary,  I  beg  leave  to 
tender  you  my  resignation  of  the  Professorship  of  Systematic 
Theology,  subject  to  your  decision  as  to  what  the  best  interests 
of  the  institution  may  demand.  My  physicians  now  give  me 
some  good  ground  to  hope  that  I  may  yet,  through  God's  help, 
be  able  to  resume,  at  least,  a  good  part  of  my  accustomed  work, 
after  a  few  months  of  rest.  At  the  same  time  I  feel  that  the 
welfare  of  the  institution  should  not  be  sacrificed  to  such  a  per- 
sonal contingency.  I  cannot  make  this  communication  to  you 
without  expressing  my  heartfelt  sense  of  the  kindness  and  for- 
bearance you  have  often  shown  me,  during  the  twenty-three  years 
in  which  I  have  been  connected  with  our  beloved  Seminary. 

May  it  be  still  more  abundantly  blessed  in  the  future  I     May 

our  blessed  Master  give  to  those  who  minister  to  its  affairs  grace 

and  wisdom  to  use  aright  the  sacred  trust  committed  to  their 

charge  I 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

His  resignation  was  accepted  the  next  day  by  the  Di- 


Last    Vcars.  373 

rectors  of  the  Seminary,  with  strong  expressions  of  re- 
gret and  appreciation,*  and,  at  the  same  meeting,  Rev. 
Professor  William  G.  T,  Shedd,  D.D.,  was  appointed 
his  successor. 

To  his  friend,  Dr.  Prentiss,  he  wrote,  January  18  : 

"We  are  having  a  very  beautiful  Sundaj',  clear  and  cool,  and  I 
am  enjoying  its  peace.  I  have  had  a  long  walk,  and  am  just 
from  an  animated  Bible  class,  and  only  wish  I  had  some  special 
friend  here  for  tbe  best  communings, 

Many  thanks  for  your  kind  letter  which  came  yesterday.  You 
are  indefatigable  in  your  goodness.  I  think  my  present  mission 
is  to  help  develop  the  Christian  graces  of  my  friends.  I  am  sure 
your  perfections,  to  say  nothing  of  others,  never  shone  so  brightly 
on  me.  I  may,  perhaps,  yet  do  some  good  in  this  way,  if  in  no 
other. 

I  think  I  see  everything  more  and  more  clearly,  and  I  feel 
better  and  stronger  for  it.  I  am  looking  away  more  and  more 
from  the  incidents  and  accidents,  and  trying  to  read  God's  pur- 
pose in  it,  and  that  seems  to  me  clear.  I  needed  the  chastise- 
ment; I  pray  it  may  do  me  good,  and  cause  me  to  live  wholly 
and  only  to  my  Master.  ...  I  have  no  special  fear  about 
the  future  ;  the  Lord  will  provide.  I  humbly  hope  that  He  wlio 
has  spared  me  will  not  forsake  me  ;  that  He  will,  in  very  deed, 
deliver  my  life  from  destruction,  and  let  me  yet  see  His  goodness 
in  the  land  of  the  living.     .     .     . 

To  his  mother  : 

Clifton  Springs,  January  20,  1874. 

My  dear  Mother  :  .  .  .  Dr.  Prentiss  came  and  spent  a 
day  with  me  last  week,  and  was  surprised  at  my  great  improve- 
ment. He  came  to  talk  about  Seminary  matters.  After  long 
debate  and  consultation  with  my  physicians  and  members  of  the 
Board,  it  seemed  best,  in  view  of  the  needs  of  the  Seminary  and  of 
my  own  condition,  that  I  should  resign  my  professorship.  This 
I  did,  and  the  Board  has  accepted  it ;  retains  me  as  Professor 


*  See  Appendix,  G. 


274  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

Emeritus  ;  continues  my  salary  for  tlie  present,  and  promises  to 
provide  for  the  future,  and  to  give  me  work  in  the  Seminary  as 
soon  as  I  can  do  it.  This  gives  me  time  and  freedom  to  get 
well.  My  department  has  suffered  during  the  past  two  years ;  it 
is  the  most  important  in  the  Seminary.  Even  if  I  should  rally 
well,  Horatio  and  others  think  it  very  doubtful  whether  I  could 
go  on  full  work  next  winter.  Dr.  Shedd  will  take  my  place  ;  he 
taught  in  it  while  I  was  in  Europe,  and  has  the  confidence  of  the 
Board. 

Of  course,  this  is  something  of  a  trial,  but  it  seems  necessary, 
and  I  am  not  troubled  by  it,  but  see  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  it. 
Though  I  leave  my  sisecial  chaii",  yet  my  connection  with  the 
Seminary  is  continued.  Though  my  salary  will  be  a  good  deal 
less,  yet  I  shall  have  enough,  probably,  to  live  on.  I  feel  en- 
tirely calm  and  trustful  about  my  future,  and  so  does  E.  The 
Lord  will  provide. 

February  2. — I  have  a  good  many  very  kind  letters.  I  have 
just  answered  a  characteristic  and  excellent  one  from  Professor 
Park.  I  received  to-day  a  very  kind  note  from  Mr.  John  Neal, 
to  which  I  will  reply  by-and-by. 

Week  by  week  I  find  myself  somewhat  better  and  stronger  .  .  . 
So  I  keep  on  hoping. 

To  liis  successor,  Dr.  Shedd,  lie  wrote  : 

The  Seminary  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  your  accession  to 
the  chair  of  Systematic  Theology.  Under  ail  the  circumstances 
I  was,  of  course,  obliged  to  resign,  however  reluctantly,  and  be- 
side you  there  was  no  second  choice.  I  am  sure  that  your  appoint- 
ment will  be  greeted  all  through  the  church  with  great  satisfac- 
tion. It  is  a  self-siistaining  department,  if  the  fit  man  be  in  it. 
May  you  make  up  for  my  imperfections,  and  strengthen  as  well 
as  adorn  the  chair.  It  suits  you,  too,  more  fully  than  the  one 
you  leave,  and  will  enable  you  to  add  your  "  Dogmatics  "  to  the 
invaluable  works  with  which  you  have  already  enriched  our 
theological  literature. 

I  am  still  improving,  week  by  week — a  wonder  to  myself,  and 
filled  with  wonder  and  praise  at  the  goodness  and  compassion  of 


Last   Years.  375 

God.  "Whatever  the  uncertainties  of  the  future,  I  tliink  I  can 
say,  I  put  my  trust  in  Him.  The  fruitful  part  of  my  life  may 
be  past,  but  there  is  still  ^vork  enough,  for  the  weak  as  well  a3 
the  strong,  so  long  as  life  lasts. 

To  Hon.  Joseph  Ilowkmd : 

Cmfton  Springs,  N.  Y.,  January  30,  1874. 

My  deae  Friend  :  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 
most  cordial  and  welcome  letter  ;  it  comforted  me.  Adversity 
has  its  trials,  but  also  its  tests— especially  of  friendship  and  its 
quality. 

To  receive  so  much  true  and  loving  sympathy  is  a  great  help, 
physical  even,  as  well  as  moral.  "  I  was  brought  low,  and  He 
helped  me,"  is  a  touching  proof  of  the  Divine  compassion. 

I  ivas  brought  very  low  when  I  left  New  York,  and  I  hardly 
wonder  that  so  many  thought  my  prostration  to  be  hopeless.  It 
was  a  very  kind  Providence  that  led  me  here,  for,  after  a  fort- 
night's battle,  I  began  to  gain  slowly,  week  by  week,  without  a 
lapse.  If  I  were  in  New  York  and  had  to  work,  I  should  say  I 
was  "pretty  well;"  but  being  banished  for  my  infirmities,  I 
only  say  that  I  am  better.  My  head  is  clearer,  my  nerves 
are  quieter,  my  sleep  more  natural  than  for  a  long,  long 
time;  and  I  have  little  conscious  pain,  even  in  my  tongue, 
which  has  been  for  eighteen  months  an  unruly  member.  The 
treatment  has  been  just  right,  it  would  seem,  and  I  have  got 
into  such  a  state  that  I  do  not  even  care  if  homoeopathy  and 
hydropathy  have  done  it,  which  is,  for  me,  quite  a  confession. 

I  am  even  getting  reconciled  to  being  a  Professor  Emeritus — 
which  has  always  seemed  to  me  a  title  of  imbecility ;  but  I 
shan't  mind  it  if  I  get  well,  which  seems  now  quite  possible.  I 
am  content  with  my  lot.  If  I  am  able  I  shall  find  enough  to  do, 
and  I  trust  and  pray  that  the  Lord  who  has  spared  me  will  not 
forsake  me  and  mine. 

I  hope  your  organ  can  play  "Auld  Lang  Syne  "as  well  as 
"  Old  Hundred." 

To  Ms  loife : 

Clifton  Springs,  IMarch  Gth. 

.     .     .    And  now  I  may  as  well  tell  you  what  I've  been  about 


3/6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

for  three  weeks — writing  my  article  on  Strauss.*  It  is  done, 
working  from  one  to  one  and  a  half  hours  a  day  only,  and  none 
in  the  evening.  Dr.  Prince  thinks  it  hasn't  done  me  any  harm, 
and  I  know  it  hasn't.  I  read  it  to  six  or  eight  of  the  breth- 
ren here  (Drs.  Kendrick,  Van  Doren,  Labaree,  Phelps,  MacAtee, 
etc.),  and  they  approved. 

I  sent  a  part  to  Sherwood,  who  says  the  printers  find  it  hard 
to  read — German  names,  etc.,  and  written  on  both  sides.  He 
has  half  of  it,  and  I  have  written  him  if  they  can't  get  along 
with  it  to  send  it  to  you.  .  .  .It  isn't  really  so  very  badly 
written  !  I  think  S.  was  to  send  proofs  to  you  and  to  me.  I 
hope  you  will  like  it — and  forgive  me  !  ...  I  wish  George 
could  somehow  read  the  article.  It  mu&t  he  in  the  April  num- 
ber. 

This  article  excited  much  attention.  Here  are  two  of 
the  letters  it  called  forth  : 

"  New  Haven,  April  5,  1874. 
*'  My  dear  Professor  :  I  have  just  read  your  article  on 
Strauss,  which  you  were  so  kind  as  to  send  me.  It  strikes  me  as 
conclusive  and  admirable  in  all  respects — a  demolishing  review, 
which  has  the  additional  merit  of  raising  a  substantial  structure 
in  the  room  of  the  unsubstantial  building  which  it  pulls  down. 

"  Poor  Strauss  !  He  seems  to  have  illustrated,  in  his  new  degen- 
eracy, the  baleful  character  of  his  intellectual  tendencies,  and  to 
have  shown,  in  his  gloomy  death,  the  ruin  and  desolation  which 
they  bring  in  their  train. 

"Very  sincerely  yours, 

''George  P.  Fisher." 

"  Newark,  May  27,  1874. 
"  My  dear  Sir  :  I  have  just  finished  reading  the  second  time 
your  grand  article  on  Strauss  in  the  Quarterly,  and  feel  im- 
pelled irresistibly  to  tell  you  how  much  I  thank  you  for  the 
pleasure  it  gave  me  in  many  ways,  not  the  least  of  which  is  the 
evidence  it  furnishes  of  your  vigor  and  continued  leadership  in 
that  department  to  which  your  life  has  been  devoted.      I  intend 

*  "The  New  Faith  of  Strauss." — Presbyterian  Quarterly  and  Princeton 
Beview,  April,  1874. 


Last   Years.  2>77 

to  read  the  article  over  again,  and  by  that  time  it  will  be  mine 
almost  as  fully  as  it  is  yours. 

"I  sincerely  hope  and  pray  that  you  may  get  entirely  well 
and  resume  all  your  customary  duties,  and  that  Union  Theolo- 
gical Seminary,  in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  may  through  you 
keep  its  hold  on  the  minds  and  training  of  our  rising  ministry. 

"Do  not  trouble  yourself  to  reply,  nor  feel  in  any  way  bound 

to  respond,  since  I  write,  as  I  said,  because  irresistibly  impelled 

to  make  an  acknowledgment  to  you. 

"Truly  and  sincerely  yours, 

"James  P.  Wilson." 

To  his  wife : 

March  10. 

I  am  about  through  with  book  notices  and  intelligence  for  the 
Revieiv.  By  Thursday  I  shall  have  everything  oS,  very  easily.  I 
have  done  more  of  Revietv  work  the  last  month  than  at  any  time 
since  1868,  and  am  the  better  for  it.  Dr.  Eobert  Booth  has 
written  me  a  very  kind  letter,  and  says  there  will  be  as  much  in 
the  Seminary  for  me  to  do  as  I  can  do. 

March  11. — To-day  I  finish  the  final  revision  of  my  articles, 
and  to-morrow  I  shall  send  off  the  last  of  book  notices  and  in- 
telligence— all  easily  done ;  is  it  not  fine  ?  I  can  do  more  in 
half  an  hour  now,  and  without  feeling  it,  than  I  could  in  an 
hour  a  month  ago. 

I  had  a  very  kind  letter  from  Dr.  John  Hall  to-day,  ostensibly 
on  some  Presbyterian  matters,  really  to  do  me  good. 

March  17,  1874. —  .  .  .  I  am  packing  up.  T  snatch  a  mo- 
ment to  say  that  I  shall  soon  be  with  you — home  again  !  It 
seems  strange — and  blessed.  Last  evening  I  talked  in  the  meet- 
ing and  they  liked  it.  .  .  .  Everybody  is  very  kind  about 
my  going. 


To  his  mother  : 


Brier  Cliff,  Sing  Sfng,  April  3,  1874.  ) 


(On  liis  return  from  New  York  to  Clifton  Springs.) 

My  DEAK  Mother  :  I  have  just  finished  my  "vacation"  in 
New  York,  and  am  on  my  way  to  Clifton  Springs,  taking 
H with  me  for  a  few  weeks,  as  he  has  been  drooping  a  little. 


378  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

I  had  a  very  pleasant  time  in  New  York,  and  everybody  was 
**  surprised  and  delighted,"  as  Dr.  Peaslee  said,  at  the  great  and 
rapid  change  in  me.  The  "regular"  physicians  hardly  know 
what  to  make  of  it.  Horatio  asked  me  what  it  could  be  that  had 
done  so  much  more  for  me  in  so  short  a  time  than  ever  had  been 
done  before.  In  New  York  I  was  out,  at  dinners,  breakfasts, 
and  teas,  a  good  deal,  and  had  considerable  work  to  do  in  the 
Seminary  library,  and,  of  course,  it  was  all  somewhat  exciting ; 
yet  I  am  better  now  than  I  was  when  I  left  Clifton.  .  .  . 
The  prospect  of  my  complete  restoration  is  now  very  good.  I 
heard  Dr.  Peabody*  several  times  with  great  interest ;  he  break- 
fasted with  us  one  morning.  He  said  in  one  lecture,  that  Christ 
was  '^  consubstantial  with  the  Father,"  using  the  very  battle- 
word  of  the  Orthodox  against  the  Arians.  ...  I  leave  for 
Clifton  to-morrow.     .     .     . 

Thank  Mr.  John  Neal  for  his  cordial  words  about  my  arti- 
cle on  Strauss.  I  am  especially  glad  to  receive  them,  as  every- 
body was  saying,  three  months  ago,  that  my  working  days  were 
over. 

Clifton  Springs,  Sunday,  April  5,  1874. 

My  deakly  Beloved  :  Here  I  am  in  exile  again,  and  com- 
fortably quartered,  in  a  room  swept  and  newly  papered  and  gar- 
nished. We  arrived  at  about  11 :20  last  evening,  in  a  shivering 
snow-storm,  but  the  room  was  all  ready,  as  L.  had  chosen  it, 
and  there  were  flowers,  and  oranges,  and  milk,  and  sandwiches, 
from  different  friends,  and  we  were  soon  asleep,  and  I  slept 
straight  through  till  six  o'clock,  and  awoke  not  tired  but  re- 
freshed. At  breakfast  I  had  most  cordial  welcomes  all  around  ; 
'twas  very  pleasant  to  find  so  many  friendly  hands  and  hear  so 
many  pleasant  words.  .  .  .  Everybody  congratulates  me  on 
my  improvement  since  I  left  here.  Dr.  Prince  says  I  am  much 
better  than  when  I  went  away. 

Saturday,  April  11,  1874. — I  am  sorry  that  Horatio's  judg- 
ment is  so  unfavorablef — I  think  needlessly  cautious  ;  but  it  may 

*  Rev.  Prof.  Andrew  P.  Peabody,  D.D.,  who  gave  this  year  the  course  of 
Ely  Lectures  before  the  Seminary. 

f  "  Horatio  has  as  much  dread  as  ever  of  your  coming:  back  to  the  old 
ruts  next  winter.     He  says  that  you  will  work  (which  is  true)  to  the  end  of 


Last   Years.  n  ^g 

be  inevitable  ;  only  I  think  he  and  others  miglit  reserve  final 
judgment  until  the  fall,  as  to  my  next  winter's  pot^sibilities. 
Dr.  Prince  does  not  agree  with  this  opinion.  ...  A  letter 
from  Prof.  March,  lie  wants  me  to  write  an  introduction  to  his 
Eusebius  (Harpers),  which  I  have  rather  declined.  ...  I 
am  to  write  to-day  to  President  i^arnard,  declining,  for  the  pres- 
ent, co-operation  on  the  Cyclopaedia.  .  .  .  Last  evenino-, 
meeting  ;  considerable  speaking,  in  which  I  joined  for  a  few 
minutes. 

After  his  return  to  Clifton  Springs  there  was  no  im- 
provement in  his  liealth.  He  had  entertained  sanguine 
holies  that  it  would  be  so  far  re-established  before  au- 
tumn, as  to  permit  the  resumption  of  regular  work  of 
some  kind  in  the  Seminary.  The  adverse  opinion  of  his 
brother,  and  the  subsequent  non-action  of  the  Seminary 
Board,  which  left  his  jDosition  and  duties  still  undefined, 
had  a  depressing  effect  upon  him.  His  strength  failed, 
his  painful  symptoms  were  aggravated,  and  the  old 
sleeplessness  returned.  The  sudden  and  critical  illness 
of  his  friend,  Dr.  Prentiss,  immediately  following  his 
inauguration,*  was  a  great  shock  and  trouble  to  him. 

Through  April  and  May  he  fought  with  suffering. 
Friends  were  with  him  who  knew  his  patience,  and  com- 
forted him  "with  the  comfort  wherewith  they  them- 
selves were  comforted  of  God  ; "  while  his  usual  ready 
interest  in  all  around  him,  and  his  cheerful,  witty  con- 
versation were  a  vail  to  others.  At  times  he  conducted 
the  morning  prayers  in  the  chapel,  and  spoke,  in  the 
evening  meetings,  on  matters  of  Christian  truth  and  ex- 
perience.    "It  was  good  to  be  there,"  as  he  wrote,  and 

your  strength,  and  you  cannot  tell  beforehand  when  that  will  be,  and  then 
conies  the  danger,  which  no  will  can  guard  against  ;  that  no  case  was  ever 
known  of  brain  disease  of  so  long  standing  being  cured  in  a  few  months  ; 
that,  bright  and  well  as  you  may  seem  and  he,  you  can  have  no  reserve  of 
strength  to  fall  back  upon."     (Extract  from  a  letter  from  Xevv  York.) 

*  As  Professor  of  Pastoral  Theology,  Church  Polity,  and  Mission  Work, 
in  Union  Theological  Seminary. 


o 


80  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


■undoubtedly  his  own  less  emotional  and  demonstrative 
religious  life  received  an  impulse  from  the  warm  glow  of 
devofion  which  characterized  these  services.  And  the 
warm  thanks  expressed  to  him  showed  that  he  was  a 
giver  as  well  as  a  receiver.  The  very  tones  of  his  voice 
touched  the  fountains  of  tears  in  some  of  his  auditors. 
"His  sweet  spirit,"  wrote  one  of  them,  " was  an  inspira- 
tion to  the  house." 

To  Ms  wife : 

Clifton  Springs,  April  25,  1874. 

.  .  .  It  is  a  raw,  chilly,  raining  day,  snowish  too.  .  .  . 
It  seems  to  me  that  I  now  need  sunshine  more  than  almost  any- 
thing else.  Last  evening  meeting  was  on  the  Person  of  Christ. 
I  summed  up,  and  got  quite  worked  up  about  it,  but  had  a  good 
fair  sleep  after  it.  .  .  .  The  weeks  do  pass  away.  June 
will  soon  be  here. 

May  4th. — Yesterday,  at  Bible  class,  we  had  an  animated  dis- 
cussion on  the  mode  of  Satan's  temptations,  and  on  Perfectionism. 
I  said  that  the  Bible  did  not  authorize  us  to  say  that  Satan  had 
direct  access  to  the  soul,  or  that  he  could  put  thoughts  or  feel- 
ings right  into  us.  .  .  .  We  had  a  thoroughgoing  perfec- 
tionist, Mr.  L ,  English,  who  took  the  entire  ground,  "per- 
fect as  your  Father  in   Heaven  is  perfect,   etc."     Mr.   L 

afterward  gave  me  an  hour's  account  of  his  religious  experience, 
very  interesting.  To-day  the  Seminary  Committee  meets,  but  I 
am  not  anxious.     .     .     .     May  God  prepare  us  for  all  his  will ! 

May  9th. — I  came  back  safe  and  sound  last  evening,  after  a  very 
pleasant  time  at  Auburn,  of  which  anniversary  I  send  you  a 
newspaper  report.  I  met  a  good  many  old  acquaintances  and 
formed  some  new  ones,  and  the  two  days  passed  quickly.  I  was 
the  guest  of  Prof.  Dr.  Huntington,  very  hospitably  entertained. 
Everybody  is  interested  in  the  Seminary,  quite  a  contrast  to 
New  York.  ...  In  the  address  of  Dr.  Strong  on  the  laying 
of  the  corner-stone  he  quoted  quite  a  sentence  from  my  article 
on  Strauss.     .     .     . 


Last   Years.  381 

May  10th. — A  beautiful,  quiet  Sunday,  which  I  trust  you 
have  enjoyed,  as  I  have,  with  quiet,  trusting  thoughts.  The 
leaves  are  bursting  out  on  all  the  trees,  and  the  fields  are  getting 
green  again  all  round — nature  ever  the  same  and  we  ever  chang- 
ing. Dr.  Torrey  preached  a  simple,  earnest,  edifying  sermon 
this  morning,  and  we  had  Bible  class  after  dinner  as  usual.  .  .  . 

I  am  entirely  quiet,  not  at  all  disturbed  about  the  future.  It 
seems  to  me,  more  and  more,  as  if  it  would  all  come  out  right 
in  the  end. 

May  15th. — What  terrible  news  that  was  about  George  and. 
his  imminent  peril  ;  it  gave  me  a  great  shock.  But  I  hope  and 
pray  that  the  peril  is  past.  What  sliould  we  do  without  that 
blessed  man  !  I  never  realized  before  how  much  he  was  to  me 
and  to  all  of  us. 

In  a  similar  strain  he  wrote  to  Dr.  Steams  : 

I  have  been  greatly  grieved  at  George's  alarming  attack  ;  it 
was  a  real  shock  at  first,  but  the  later  tidings  have  been  encour- 
aging. If  we  had  had  to  lose  him  !  It  would  have  been  a  ter- 
rible blow  all  around  ;  New  York  and  the  Seminary  would  have 
lost  their  best  personal  attraction  for  me.  Thank  God  for  his 
better  state  !  .  .  .  How  little  we  all  know  before  hand  what 
the  Lord  may  think  best  for  us  !  But  He  is  wise  and  good  in 
spite  of  our  unchastened  hopes  and  plans. 

I  thank  you,  dear  Stearns,  with  all  my  heart,  for  all 
that  you  have  done  in  my  behalf.  God  bless  you.  I  shall,  with 
God's  help,  do  the  best  I  can.  But  it  is  up-hill  work,  at  fifty- 
nine  to  begin  again. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss: 

CLrFTON  Springs,  June  4,  1874. 

My  dear  George  :  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear,  from  time-  to  time, 
of  your  convalescence,  which  may  be  all  the  more  sure  from  not 
being  too  rapid. 

I  shall  be  in  New  York  on  Wednesday  or  Thursday  of  next 
week,  and  I  hope  you  may  all  stay  to  the  wedding,  if  possible. 

I  have  not  gained  quite  so  rapidly  of  late,  but  the  doctors 
Bay  the  future  is  safe.     These  alternations  belong,  perhaps,  to 


382  Henry  Boynton  Smith.. 

chronic  cases.  If  my  future  were  somewhat  less  uncertain  I 
might,  perhaps,  feel  differently.  But  I  believe  the  Lord  will 
make  all  things  straight  and  plain  when  the  time  comes. 

I  am  sorry  to  miss  seeing  Stearns  before  he  sails.  I  have  sent 
him  a  few  cards  of  introduction.  The  Lord  bring  him  back 
safely  ! 

I  had  the  kindest  of  letters  from  Dr.  Wilson;  it  was  a  most 
grateful  surprise,  to  which  I  heartily  responded. 

Do  get  well,  and  fast,  old  fellow,  and  I  will  do  the  same,  and 
we  will  have  some  good  palavers  yet. 

Love  to  your  wife  and  children. 

He  returned  to  New  York  in  June,  a  few  days  pre- 
vious to  the  marriage  of  his  second  daughter.  He  re- 
mained at  home  till  July,  when  he  went,  feeble,  yet 
busied  with  work  till  the  hour  of  starting  and  correct- 
ing proof-sheets  on  his  journey,  to  Portland  and  Front's 
Neck.  Here  he  was  somewhat  invigorated  at  first,  but 
the  sea-bathing  induced  severe  neuralgic  pains  in  the 
chest,  from  which  he  found  little  relief  for  more  than  a 
month.  It  was  a  summer  of  weakness  and  suffering, 
borne  in  gentle  patience,  comforted  by  the  presence, 
from  time  to  time,  of  all  his  children  and  grandchildren, 
and  of  other  dear  friends.  Before  leaving  he  made  a 
visit  with  some  of  his  children  to  the  old  home  at  Scar- 
borough. 

To  Dr.  Prentiss : 

Oak  Hill,  Maine,  July  13,  1874.  \ 
(Post  office  of  Prout's  Neck.)       i" 

My  dear  George  :  It  is  raining  beautifully,  and  so  it  has 
been  doing  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  and  so  it  is  likely  to 
do  for  some  time,  and  so  it  did  for  three  days  after  we  came  here 
(ending  last  Sunday).  We  have  had  a  service — twenty  people — 
in  the  parlor,  "  Mac  "  reading  one  of  Farrar's  beautiful  sermons. 

With  so  many  of  our  family  here  (all  excepting  W ),  we  have 

had  high  times,  the  best  for  a  long,  long  time;  it  seems  an  age  since 
I  went  off  last  fall.  ...  I  meant  to  have  gone  to  our  class's 
fortieth  at  Brunswick,  but  it  was  very  warm,  and  all  the  family 


Last   Yea7's.  383 

had  just  come,  and  I  did  not  like  to  run  any  risk,  especially  as 
I  am  doing  so  well.  I  take  a  dip  in  the  ocean  every  day  and 
have  a  good  reaction,  and  I  do  enjoy  my  native  air  and  this  sea- 
side at  Prout's  Neck — it  always  quickens  my  life,  and  I  mean  to 
stay  about  three  months.  This  week  I  am  looking  for  a  visit 
from  Hamlin,  who  was  to  be  at  Brunswick.  Have  you  seen 
Farrar's  "  Life  of  Christ  •'  ?  We  are  reading  it  with  great  inter- 
est. It  is  quite  after  a  way  of  his  own,  running  very  much  into 
homily.  I  was  drawn  into  that  Swing  and  Fatton  business  in 
the  Evangelist,  seeing  how  the  thing  was  drifting,  but  I  do  not 
mean  to  be  drawn  into  a  controversy. 

To  the  same : 

September  3,  1874. 

How  quickly  autumn  has  come  again,  summer  gone  once 
more  and  the  workers  again  going  to  their  work  !  Your  welcome 
letter  from  New  York  came  yesterday  ;  and  we  have  made  a  jilan 
for  you,  viz.,  to  come  here  next  week  and  stay  a  week,  and  go  to 
New.  York  with  us  by  the  outside  boat,  leaving  Portland  17th 
inst.  It  is  charming  here,  just  the  weather  for  you,  quiet,  cool, 
bright,  fishy,  boaty,  rides  and  walks  and  excellent  company. 
There  is  plenty  of  good  room  for  you.  We  had  a  capital  visit 
from  your  boys,  of  whom  any  parents  might  well  be  proud  and 
sin  not.  ...  I  am  gaining  sensibly,  having  got  acclimated 
through  much  neuralgia  and  rheumatism,  and  hope  now  for  the 
best,  though  I  shall  probably  spend  October  in  Clifton  with 
Goodwin,  Piirk,  etc.  There  is  no  pressure  about  my  beginning 
work  in  the  Seminary. 

I  am  very  glad  you  are  getting  along  so  well,  and  trust  you 
will  soon  be  entirely  restored  and  be  hard  at  work.  You  and  the 
other  professors  have  a  great  and  good  work  to  do,  and  enough 
of  it. 

After  returning  to  New  York  in  September,  he  busied 
himself  with  writing  and  with  work  in  the  Seminary- 
library.  He  \vrote,  for  the  Eoangellst^  a  series  of  articles 
on  the  "Minutes  of  the  Westminster  Assembly,"  which 
occupied  him  for  several  weeks.  Then  he  acquiesced, 
reluctantly,  in  the  judgment  of  his  friends,  and,  instead 


384  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

of  lecturing  in  the  Seminary,  as  he  had  hoped,  he  went 
back  to  Clifton  Springs. 

A  choice  company  of  invalids  was,  at  this  time,  gath- 
ered at  the  Sanitarium  :  among  them  were  Professors 
Goodwin  of  Philadelphia,  and  Park  and  Phelps  of  An- 
dover,  and  Bishop  Simpson  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

After  keeping  up  a  good  appearance  of  health  for 
several  weeks,  Professor  Smith  was  seized  with  the  pre- 
valent severe  type  of  influenza,  the  effects  of  which  be- 
came very  serious.  He  lay  for  some  days  in  a  very 
doubtful  condition,  and  then  slowly  rallied.  He  yielded 
to  the  situation  so  far  as  to  consent  to  give  up  a  portion 
of  his  Remew  work  to  his  friend.  Rev.  Dr.  Gillett,  but 
he  still  -wrote  reviews  of  books  and  collected  the  ' '  Lite- 
rary Intelligence,"  which  was  a  special  feature  of  his 
editorship. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  he  wrote,  October  19  : 

Many  thanks  for  your  kindest  of  letters.  I  am  rejoiced  that 
you  are  back  in  New  York  and  able  to  resume  work,  though  it 
ought  to  be  by  degrees.     .     .     . 

I  am  in  the  tide  of  baths  and  other  Clifton  works  with  good 
effect ;  not  that  I  needed  it  so  very  much,  but  it  is  well  enough 
to  be  here  and  make  assurance  sure,  and  I  am  not  particularly 
needed  elsewhere  ;  besides,  I  escape  temptations  to  various  sorts 
of  extra  labor  which  crowd  in. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  pleasant  company  here,  and  the  time 
is  well  and  profitably  filled  up.  Goodwin  gains  only  slightly  as 
to  sleep  ;  at  times  he  is  well-nigh  discouraged,  but  he  keeps  on 
bravely,  and  the  doctors  think  he  can  get  well.  .  .  .  Bishop 
Simpson  preached  an  excellent  sermon  yesterday,  strong  and 
true  and  deeply  felt ;  he  is  a  real  bishop,  and  needs  not  that 
Bishop  Potter  re-ordain  him.  I  should  like  to  know  what  an 
*'  Episcopal  bishop  "  could  add  to  the  gifts  and  graces  of  such  a 
Methodist  bishop. 

.  .  .  I  do  not  know  exactly  when  I  shall  return,  or  what  I 
shall  do  when  I  get  back. 


Last   Yeai^s.  385 

On  the  evening  of  his  birthday,  he  was  surprised  in 
his  room  by  the  entrance  of  a  long  procession  of  friends, 
many  of  them  bearing  little  gifts,  tlie  last  two  a  tray  of 
birthday-cake  bright  with  lighted  tapers.  A  poetical 
address  was  read ;  speeches  were  made  by  Dr.  Prince, 
Professor  Goodwin,  etc.,  a  very  witty  one  by  Pro- 
fessor Park,  and  the  various  gifts  presented  with 
appropriate  witticisms.  In  reply  to  all  this,  the  sur- 
prised host  was  called  upon  for  a  speech.  This  was 
one  of  the  pleasant  episodes  of  the  life  at  the  Sanita- 
rium. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  several  of  his  friends  met  in 
his  room  and  conversed  on  holy  things.  On  the  evening 
of  Thanksgiving  day,  the  same  week,  he  spoke  with 
fervor  in  the  chapel,  and  a  few  evenings  later  he  gave 
some  impressive  farewell  words.  The  next  morning  he 
started  for  New  York,  accompanied  to  the  station  by 
friends,  more  in  number  than  the  large  omnibus  could 
hold.*  He  was  welcomed  home  by  his  children,  in  his 
house,  and  the  next  evening  by  the  beloved  circle  of  Chi 
Alpha. 

But  before  the  close  of  the  month  "his  plans,"  as  he 
wrote,  "were  again  broken  up."  Peculiarly  sensitive 
to  the  influences  of  climate  and  weather,  he  had  again 
taken  cold,  ' '  fighting  against  it  all  along. ' '  He  had 
come  home  as  an  experiment,  which  had  failed,  and  he 
sadly  yielded  to  the  judgment  of  others  and  went  back 
to  Clifton.  Before  he  left,  he  selected  Christmas  gifts 
for  friends  in  various  places,  with  a  touching  sadness 
which  seemed  like  a  foreboding. 

His  return  to  Clifton  was  hastened  for  the  conve- 
nience of  his  oldest  son,  who  wished  to  accompany  him 
on  the  long  journey  ;  and  it  was  the  more  trying,  as  it 

*A  few  flays  afterward  he  received,  in  New  York,  a  famous  "Round 
Robin  "  from  the  Sanitarium,  inscribed  with  many  names  and  friendly  sen- 
timents. 

25 


•586  Henry  Boynton  Smith.       » 

involved  the  disappointment  of  his  strong  desire  to  be 
present  at  the  approaching  marriage  of  this  son  in  Port- 
land. 

To  Ids  wife : 

Clifton  Springs,  December  31,  1874. 

.  .  .  Good  meeting  last  evening  in  the  chapel,  the  first  I 
have  attended,  and  1  feel  it  much.  I  hope  it  did  me  good.  I 
trust  and  pray  that  all  tliese  evil  days  may  not  be  without  fruit. 
.  .  .  I  am  better,  quite  over  the  worst  symptoms  ;  sleep  quite 
well,  walk  and  talk.  This  is  a  good  place  for  me  in  many 
respects. 

Friday,  January  1,  1875. —  ...  I  write  in  haste,  for  I 
have  been  with  Professor  Park  nearly  all  the  forenoon  ;  he 
is  very  ill.  I  dread  the  worst.  He  knows  me,  and  wants  me 
with  him.  .  .  .  God  be  with  him.  I  can't  write  more. 
God  keep  us  in  his  love.  ...  I  am  glad  and  thankful  to  be 
here  now,  for  Professor  Park's  sake. 

January  3,  1875. — -The  visit  of  W and  Z was  bright 

and  cheering  to  everybody  ;  it  was  a  blessed  thing  to  me.  .  .  . 
Professor  P.  is  very  weak  and  worn.  He  has  been  very  affec- 
tionate to  me,  and  I  see  him  all  I  can.  I  spent  most  of  New 
Year's  day  with  him,  and  it  almost  wore  me  out,  so  that  I  did 
not  appear  to  "W" and  Z as  well  as  I  really  was. 

January  6. —  ...  I  have  been  and  must  be  with  Pro- 
fessor Park,  day  and  night,  for  the  dark  shadow  is  over  him  ; 
and  he  is  more  tender  and  loving  to  me  than  ever.  His  son  and 
daughter  came  yesterday,  and  I  have  been  with  them,  in  and 
out,  for  the  past  days.  ...  I  love  him  and  he  me,  better 
than  ever  before. 

To  Dr.  Prentiss  he  ^vrites,  February  9  : 

I  was  right  glad  to  get  your  note,  for  letters  are  a  boon  to 
exiles  ;  especially  to  hear  that  all  is  going  on  so  well  with  you 
and  yours.     To-day  is  tempestuous,  thermometer  minus  10°  this 


Last   Years.  387 

morning,  and  now  a  l)lustering  storm  of  snow,  beclouding  and 
whitening  everything.  But  in  our  pleasant,  warm  room  we  are 
above  or  aloof  from  outside  weather.  For  four  days  it  has  been 
very  cold,  the  depth  of  winter. 

But  in  the  midst  of  this,  I  am  getting  better  day  by  day.  I 
begin  to  feel  as  if  there  were  something  left  worth  striving  for. 

In  reference  to  advice  that  lie  should  give  up  the 
RemeiD,  and  library  work,  and  give  himself  wholly  to 
preparing  his  lectures  for  the  press,  he  proceeds : 

I  intend,  of  course,  to  begin  this  work  on  my  lectures  as  soon 
as  I  can  ;  but  in  doing  it,  I  must  be  where  I  can  have  access  to 
the  library,  etc.  It  will  be  my  hardest  work.  My  lectures  at 
the  Seminary  on  Apologetics  and  Natural  Theology,  etc.,  could 
all  be  worked  in  and  make  a  part  of  it.  And  I  and  all  other 
men  need  to  be  where  there  is  something  definite  to  do  every 
day.  The  library  is  a  kind  of  recreation  to  me,  and  a  change  of 
work.  .  .  .  Goodwin  is  doing  better  ;  he  has  just  published 
a  volume  of  three  or  four  hundred  pages,  a  syllabus  of  his  lec- 
tures, clear,  strong,  well  done. 

To  the  same : 

Clifton  Springs,  February  25,  1875. 

.  .  .  As  to  the  [Seminary]  library,  I  should  say  that  fully 
two-thirds  of  it  could  not  be  replaced  excepting  at  great  addi- 
tional (to  what  it  cost)  expense.  One-third  of  the  two-thirds 
could  not  l)e  replaced  at  all.  This  is  true  of  a  large  part  of  the 
Van  Ess  collection,  which  numbered  about  seventeen  thousand 
titles.  The  Incunabula  (earliest  printed  editions  between  1*487 
and  1510),  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  number,  are,  as  a  whole, 
invaluable  ;  and  so  is  the  Eeformation  literature,  about  two 
thousand  original  editions.  If  there  is  any  plan  about  a  fire- 
proof building,  I  should  like  to  see  it,  for  it  is  quite  impera- 
tive that  the  alcoves  and  shelves  should  be  so  arranged  that  we 
be  not  obliged  to  rearrange  and  renumber  all  the  books  and  the 
whole  catalogue. 

March  31. — Best  greetings  to  you  and  yours.     This  is  really 


^88  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

like  spring,  and  it  is  as  the  breath  of  a  better  life.     I  hope  you 
feel  the  goodness  of  it  as  much  as  we  do. 

Your  news  from  Hamlin  is  very  encouraging,  and  I  do  hope 
that  I  shall  see  him  in  New  York  this  spring.  He  will  get  that 
$50,000,*  I  am  sure,  and  all  the  rest  that  the  Lord  has  need  of 
through  him.     He  is  a  noble  man. 

I  am  doing  very  well  indeed.  I  was  threatened,  a  fortnight 
ago,  with  such  another  neuralgic  siege  as  I  had  last  summer;  but 
Dr.  Prince  put  me  through  a  decisive  course  of  electro-chemical 
baths  (iodine  and  iron  infused  by  electricity),  and  he  has  broken 
np  the  trouble,  and  now  I'm  beginning  to  enjoy  air  and  tonics 
again.  By  next  week  I  hope  to  be  in  a  good  condition  for  com- 
ing back  to  New  York,  at  least  for  a  time.  I  must  be  in  New 
York  to  finish  up  library  matters,  and  to  see  what  is  before  me 
for  the  next  year.  I  have  resolutely  done  nothing  here  for  three 
months. 

To  Rev.  Samuel  Osgood,  D.D.: 

Clifton  Springs,  April  5,  1875. 

My  dear  Friend  :  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  keep  busy  in 
your  work  of  informing  and  stimulating  the  public  on  literary 
and  religious  matters.  For  myself,  I  have  been  cut  off  again 
this  winter  from  literary  labor  and  condemned  to  bare  living — 
which  doesn't  amount  to  much.  But  I  have  worried  through 
the  worst,  I  hope,  and  may  be  in  New  York  again  in  the 
course  of  a  week  or  two. 

But  I  specially  wanted  to  thank  you  most  heartily  for  the  kind 
words  you  spoke  of  me  lately,  in  the  Evening  Post,  and  also,  as 
I  heard,  at  a  Seminary  gathering  when  Dr.  Dawson  was  in  New 
York.  To  a  man  laid  by,  as  I  am,  such  kindly  remembrances 
are  most  welcome,  even  when  felt  to  be  undeserved  ;  but  it  is  a 
good  thing  that  one  is  not  wholly  forgotten,  especially  by  such 
as  yourself — "to  be  praised  by  the  bepraised,"  etc.  (if  you  will 
pardon  the  translation),  is  always  grateful. 

May  you  long  continue  to  write  for  our  i:)leasure  and  profit ! 
I  trust,  too,  that  as  you  have  the  health  and  strength,  you  will 

*  For  Robert  College,  Constantinople. 


Last    Years.  389 

give  yourself  to  some  permanent  work  of  high  scholarship  and 
thought. 

With  the  highest  regard, 

Most  truly  yours, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 

From  Hon.  George  Bancroft . 

"Washington,  D.  C,  April  13,  1875. 

"My  dear  Friend:  I  sent  you,  last  autumn,  an  advance 
copy  of  my  history,  vol.  x.  I  hope  you  duly  received  it,  but 
have  my  doubts.  I  have  been  reviewing  the  History  of  the  English 
Eeformation,  and  find  your  Gieseler  most  judicious,  clear,  and 
useful.  Answer  me  this  question  :  If  Latimer,  Hooper,  and 
Kidley,  and  Cramner,  provided  he  had  remained  true  to  his 
latest  views  in  the  days  of  Edward,  had  lived  under  Whitgift, 
must  they  not,  every  one  of  them,  have  been  driven  out  of  the 
Church  of  England  for  non-conformity  ?  I  should  like  your 
opinion  on  that  question.  The  martyrs  whose  heroism  made 
England  Protestant,  must  all,  it  seems  to  me,  have  been  pro- 
scribed by  Whitgift — perhaps  Cranmer  excepted. 

"Eemember  me  kindly  to  all  your  household. 
"Ever  affectionately  yours, 

"  George  Bancroft. 

"  What  right  had  the  English  Episcopal  party  in  the  Church 
to  call  themselves  Protestants  ?  They  held  none  for  their  peers 
but  the  Roman  Catholics  and  the  Orthodox  Greeks.  Is  there 
any  distinguished  man  in  theology  in  this  district  ?  I  miss  your 
historic  knowledge,  and  ability  and  candor  very  much. 

"G.  B." 

In  April  he  returned  to  Nev^^  York,  more  confident 
than  were  others  of  his  ability  to  work.  A  few  weeks 
later  he  made,  with  his  wife,  a  round  of  visits  to  his  three 
married  children,  in  their  pleasant  homes.  In  Butler, 
Pa.,  he  preached  impressively,  in  the  pulpit  of  his  son- 
in-law,  Eev.  C.  H.  McClellan,  a  sermon  on  the  Incarna- 
tion. This  was  the  last  time  that  he  ever  preached. 
His  last  sermon,  like  his  first,  was  on  the  one  great 
theme  of  his  life — Christ. 


2QO  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

A  great  shock  and  sorrow  awaited  him  on  his  return 
to  New  York — the  l^nowledge  of  the  fact  that  his  beloved 
brother,  who  had  long  been  failing  in  health,  was  a  sure 
victim  of  fatal  disease,  his  own  conviction  having  re- 
cently been  confirmed  by  other  high  medical  authority. 

The  brothers  resolved  to  spend  this,  probably  the  last, 
summer  together,  partly  at  the  sea-side  and  partly  in 
the  country.  Accordingly  they  went  by  steamer  to 
Portland,  reaching  Portland  in  time  for  Professor  Smith 
to  go  on  to  Brunswick  and  hear,  the  same  day,  the  beau- 
tiful "  Morituri  Salutamus  "  of  Professor  Longfellow — 
his  poem  to  his  classmates  at  the  end  of  half  a  century. 
The  poet,  with  his  fine  serenity  of  face  and  voice,  the 
words  so  expressive  of  his  own  feelings,  the  dear  old 
scenes  and  the  faces  of  many  friends,  all  stirred  his 
spirit  to  unwonted  enthusiasm,  and  left  a  vivid  picture 
in  his  memory,  to  which  he  often  recurred. 

On  this  occasion  he  saw,  for  the  last  time,  his  old  friend, 
President  Woods,  who  was  already  under  the  shadow 
of  the  infirmities  which  gradually  bore  him  to  the  grave. 
The  interview  with  him  in  his  sick-room  was  most  inter- 
esting. In  his  choice,  well-arranged  words,  and  rhyth- 
mical cadence,  he  told  how  the  "Morituri  Salutamus," 
which  he  did  not  hear,  had  haunted  his  dreams  of  the 
previous  night ;  and,  as  his  visitors  were  leaving  the 
room,  he  lingered  upon  many  emphatic  charges  in  regard 
to  Dr.  Smith' s  health. 

The  month  of  July  was  spent  at  Prout's  Neck.  Dur- 
ing August  and  early  September,  the  two  brothers,  -wdth 
their  families,  were  together  at  a  farm-house  near  the 
village  of  New  Canaan,  Ct. 

It  was  good  for  them  both  to  be  together.  Horatio 
used  playfully  to  say  that  they  were  "the  two  doctors 
Smith,  the  one  that  preached  and  the  other  that  prac- 
ticed," and  each,  in  his  own  way,  was  now  a  helper  and 
comforter  to  the  other ;  the  one  with  his  rare  profes- 
sional insight   and    discrimination,    his    accurate    and 


Last   Years,  29 1 

varied  knowledge,  and  the  fine  wit  of  his  conversation  ; 
and  the  otlier  with  his  earnest  yet  unobtrusive  spiritual 
sympathy  and  guidance.  "  Were  there  ever  such  pray- 
ers as  Henry's— asking  for  exactly  the  right  thing,  in 
exactly  the  right  words  r'  said  his  brother.  Pain  and 
suffering  were  accepted  things  with  them  both  ;  it  would 
be  hard  to  say  which  of  the  two  accepted  them  with  the 
greater  fortitude  and  dignity. 

One  Sunday  at  New  Canaan,  after  Professor  Smith 
had  assisted  the  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church 
in  his  service,  he  went  to  the  Episcopal  church,  and, 
kneeling  at  his  brother's  side,  partook  with  him  of  the 
sacred  bread  and  wine. 

All  this  time  he  had  been  hoping  against  hope,  always 
sanguine  about  his  own  future.  He  felt  the  old  fire 
burning  within,  and  did  not  see,  as  others  saw,  that  it 
was  consuming  him.  Far  from  acquiescing  in  the  ad- 
vice that  he  should  thenceforth  allow  himself  the  relief 
of  a  well-earned  rest,*  he  had  always  kept  before  him 
the  hope  of  resuming  professional  work  in  the  Semi- 
nary, which,  as  was  understood  at  the  time  of  his  resig- 
nation, was  to  be  assigned  him,  partially  or  fully,  so 
soon  as  his  health  might  suffice — "whether  by  a  new 
division  of  the  department  of  theology,  or  a  new  casting 
of  the  professorships."  To  this  he  had  been  looking 
forward.  The  check  of  inactivity  galled  him.  He  felt 
like  the  imprisoned  knight,  hearing  the  music  of  the 
march  of  his  old  comrades  on  their  way  to  the  battle- 
field. Moreover,  he  had  words  to  say,  and  he  longed 
for  the  time  and  place  to  say  them.  He  had  been  grad- 
ually shaping  his  gathered  treasures  of  reading  and 
thought  into  a  course  of  lectures  on  Apologetics. 

His  brother  was  too  much  in  sympathy  with  this  ar- 
dent desire,  and  also  too  wise  a  physician,  to  oppose  it, 
considering  the  invalid  as,  in  some  sense,  the  best  judge 

*  This  ad^-ice  was  emphatically  seconded  by  his  excellent  physician  at 
Northampton,  Dr.  S.  A.  Fisk. 


392  Henry  Boyntoiz  Smith. 

of  his  own  working  powers  ;  and  it  was  with  his  consent 
that  Professor  Smith  announced  to  the  President  of  the 
Seminary  his  readiness  to  begin  lecturing  at  the  opening 
of  the  Seminary  year,  in  September. 

A  weekly  lecture  to  the  Junior  class  was  assigned  him 
by  the  faculty.  On  learning  this,  the  senior  class  sent 
a  deputation  to  him,  requesting  that  they,  also,  might 
be  present,  and  it  was  finally  arranged  that  all  the  three 
classes  of  the  Seminary  should  hear  them  together. 

This  course  on  Apologetics,  his  "aftermath,"  as  it 
may  be  called,  was  heard  with  great  enthusiasm.  Re- 
ferring to  his  notes  of  these  lectures,  one  of  his  students 
writes :  * 

"Hurriedly  written  and  incomplete  as  they  are,  I  prize  them 
ahove  everything  I  brought  away  from  tlie  Seminary.  Yet  they 
are  not  at  all  satisfactory,  as  representing  the  lectures  them- 
selves. Apart  from  the  general  difficulty  of  making  a  rapid*  ab- 
stract, which  should  do  justice  to  close  and  condensed  argu- 
ment, there  was  much,  very  much,  characteristic  of  the  lecturer, 
which  the  most  eager  student  could  not  take  down.  Many  must 
have  spoken  to  you,  and  spoken  often,  of  the  air  of  breadth  and 
candor  and  generous  thought,  not  less  remarkable  than  the  vigor, 
but  still  less  capable  of  representation  in  a  note-book.  There 
was  a  quiet  humor,  keen  but  kindly,  which  could  not  be  repro- 
duced. It  lay  not  merely  in  the  words,  but  in  the  most  delicate 
shading  of  tone,  the  most  suggestive  quickness  of  glance.  It 
lingered  in  the  mind,  un forgotten,  but  eluding  all  attempts  to 
grasp  it.  It  was  a  thing  to  be  felt  and  remembered — not  de- 
scribed. The  unfailing  enthusiasm,  v^hich  made  each  lecture  a 
tonic  to  the  listeners,  stimulating  every  faculty,  imparting  eager- 
ness and  courage— one  can  more  easily  speak  of  this,  though  it 
is  hard  to  do  it  justice.  It  always  seemed  to  us  that  Dr.  Smith 
had  the  freshest  interest  in  his  subject— an  interest  as  fresh  and 
sincere  as  if  the  thoughts  were  new  and  almost  surprising  to 
himself,  instead  of  being  the  product  of  many  patient  hours  of 
brain-work.     The  impression  he  thus  gave  was  due  in  part,  I 

*  Mr.  Francis  Brown. 


Last   Years. 


393 


suppose,  to  his  method  of  prep.aratioii,  which  made  every  lec- 
ture ill  some  sense  a  creation  of  the  hour,  but  still  more  due  to 
a  mind  that  took  true  delight  in  a  large  activity,  and  to  a  strong 
sympathy  with  his  students,  that  would  not  let  him  speak  to 
them  tamely  of  the  great  questions  so  important  for  them  to 
understand.  What  this  enthusiasm  must  have  been  when  bodily 
strength  was  sufficient  for  its  full  and  continuous  expression, 
those  who  came  years  before  us  know.  On  us  it  made  an  im- 
pression perhaps  still  greater,  because  it  was  so  often  an  evident 
victory  of  the  spirit  over  physical  weakness — a  voice  of  triumph 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  struggle.  I  have  not  said  half  I  might, 
nor  expressed  at  all  the  feelings  of  reverence  and  affection  I 
had  for  him." 

If  lie  had  limited  himself  to  the  preparation  and  de- 
livery of  these  lectures,  he  would  have  done  much,  but 
he  was  always  an  unsparing  task-master  to  himself.  He 
wrote,  at  this  time,  many  editorials  for  the  Neio  York 
Bvangelist,  on  imx)ortant  and  exciting  subjects  ;  as, 
during  the  absence  and  at  the  request  of  the  editor, 
Rev.  H,  M.  Field,  D.D.,  he  was  partially  responsible 
for  the  tone  and  direction  of  that  paper. 

In  addition  to  his  ordinary  work  as  librarian,  he  had 
now  the  superintendence  of  the  rearrangement  of  the 
Seminary  library,  after  recent  changes  in  the  building. 
"The  library  is  a  plague  and  a  puzzle,"  he  wrote  ;  "it 
will  need  a  good  year's  work  of  a  competent  man  to  put 
it  into  order,  and  I  suppose  I  must  do  it."  He  gave, 
too,  his  usual  labor  to  his  Review,  although  he  wrote  no 
elaborate  articles  for  it  this  year.  Among  other  things, 
he  wrote  for  the  October  number  a  notice  of  Rev.  Ezra 
H.  Gillett,  D.D.,  by  whose  death  he  lost  not  only  his 
most  frequent  visitor,  with  whom  he  had  constant  inter- 
course on  literary  matters,  but  also  "a  faithful  friend 
and  brother."  He  made  an  address  at  the  funeral  of 
Dr.  Gillett,  at  Harlem,  September  6th,  "though  not  as 
I  should  have  wished,"  he  wrote  ;  "I  shrink  from  such 
things  now." 


394  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

In  the  ardor  of  his  resumed  work,  he  miscalculated 
his  strength.  He  was,  indeed,  able,  with  some  interrup- 
tions, to  comjDlete  his  course  of  fifteen  lectures,  but  it 
was  done  at  a  great  cost.  Those  who  heard  him  so 
eagerly,  and  were  so  inspired  by  his  enthusiasm,  little 
imagined  from  what  dark  mines  and  fiery  crucibles  were 
brought  the  treasures  which  he  gave  them. 

At  the  close  of  his  lectures,  about  the  middle  of  De- 
cember, he  was  weary  and  worn.  Following  the  advice 
of  his  physician  to  leave  the  sea-coast  for  a  time,  he 
went  with  his  family  to  Northampton,  where  he  spent 
the  next  two  months. 

From  Northampton  he  wrote  frequent  letters  to  his 
brother,  from  which  a  few  passages  are  given  : 

December  22. — I  think  that  I  am  more  sangniuo  and  hopeful 
than  you  are,  both  in  general  and  particular.  I  hold  on,  for 
myself  and  others,  to  the  last  chance.  But,  after  all,  faith  and 
love  are  the  best  things,  and  they  abide  forever.     .     .     . 

I  think  of  you,  and  am  with  you,  and,  in  my  poor  way,  pray 
for  you,  very  much,  night  and  day.  May  the  Lord  be  very  near 
you  all  this  time,  with  all  His  comforts  and  strength  !  I  feel 
being  so  far  away  just  now,  but  it  could  not  very  well  be  other- 
wise. 

January  9. —  .  .  .  You  certainly  are  coming  out  de- 
lightfully strong  as  a  correspondent.  It  was  good  to  hear  from 
you.  You  gave  such  a  cheerful  picture  of  your  surroundings  in 
your  room,  that  my  heart  echoed  your  wish  that  I,  too,  might  be 
with  you  there,  as  I  would  most  gladly  be,  if  it  would  be  any 
comfort  to  you.  And  I  am  thankful  at  the  thought  that  it 
might  be  so.  May  you  have,  day  by  day,  morning  and  night,  all 
the  strength,  and  comfort,  and  faith,  and  patience  that  you  can 
ask  or  need.  And  more  than  we  can  ask,  and  all  that  we  need  is 
promised  by  Him  who  knows  us  better  than  we  know  ourselves, 
and  who  has  promised  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that 
we  can  ask  or  even  think. 

January  23. — How  fast  the  days  and  months  go  by,  sweeping 


Last   Years.  395 

us  on  !  We  have  been  here  now  over  five  weeks,  and  are  all  the 
better  for  it.  Snow  has  just  come,  thin,  but  giving  a  welcome 
outline  of  winter  scenery  in  the  country.  .  .  .  My  thoughts 
begin  to  turn  homeward.  I  must,  before  long,  look  after  several 
things  in  Xew  York,  and,  foremost,  I  want  to  see  you  again. 

What  a  remarkable  letter  that  was  of  mother's,  Avitli  her  in- 
firmities !     She  is  superior  to  fate. 

God  bless  and  keep  you,  my  dear  brother.  My  whole  heart  is 
with  you. 

Fehruarij  3. — I  long  to  do  something  for  your  good  and  com- 
fort. i\Jay  God  give  you  more  and  more  of  patience,  and  trust, 
and  love.  After  all,  we  have  to  come  back  to  it  in  daily  trust 
and  sul)mission, — the  Lord  knows  best  what  is  best  for  us,  here 
and  hereafter. 

To  Dr.  Prentiss  lie  wrote,  January  9 : 

I  should  like  nothing  better  than  to  ride  up  and  see  you  this 
afternoon  and  have  a  good,  long  talk.     .     .     . 

I  am  getting  along  very  well,  better  of  my  lameness,  though 
my  ankle  is  yet  weak,  and  I  do  not  like  to  venture  much  with  it. 
There  is  enough  to  do,  enough  people  to  see.  Northampton  is 
still  one  of  the  best  of  country  towns.  There  is  an  excellent 
public  library,  with  books,  well-selected  reviews,  etc.  There  is  a 
good  proportion  of  cultivated  men,  and  we  have  a  good  deal  of 
pleasant  society.  I  have  got  to  work  translating  Gieseler  again, 
which  does  not  try  the  sensibilities.  Besides  that,  I  manage  to 
write  something  each  week  for   the  Evangelist.     And   I   hear 

H 's  Greek  and  Latin.    But,  after  all,  time  goes  rather  slowly. 

Still,  I  am  very  well  otf  here,  and  do  not  care  quite  yet  to  fix  any 
time  for  coming  back,  about  which  there  is  this  also  to  be  con- 
sidered, that  I  am  not  very  much  needed. 

H.  is  keeping  up  with  his  class.  He  was  sixteen  yesterday. 
I  was  a  junior  in  college  at  his  age,  and  am  glad  that  he  is  not. 

I  wrote  in  the  Evangelist  an  article  on  Roman  Catholics  and 
Public  Schools.  Will  you  look  at  it,  and  tell  me  if  you  agree  in 
the  main?  If  you  approve,  I  should  like  to  follow  it  up.  The  fact 
is,  the  public  schools  are  now  between  two  fires,  the  Roman  Cath- 
olics and  the  Infidels— priestly  demands  and  secularists'  denials. 
For  one  I  am  strongly  disposed  to  say,  yield  not  an  inch  to  either. 


396  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

February  1. — This  robbery  *  has  filled  everybody's  thoughts. 
Some  lose  very  heavily,  and  fifty  families  are  straitened  by 
it.    .     .     . 

I  made  a  long  talk,  by  request,  at  the  Northampton  Club  last 
week,  on  Roman  Catholic  law  and  American  law.  To-day  I 
attend  the  Ministerial  Association — like  old  times. 

Early  in  February  he  returned  to  New  York,  and  at 
once  resumed  his  usual  occupations.  His  diary  for  the 
next  months  give  a  crowded  record  of  multifarious 
labors. 

At  the  annual  dinner  of  the  Alumni  of  Bowdoin 
College,  in  February,  he  gave  an  account  of  Mr.  Long- 
fellow's poem  at  the  last  Commencement,  A  few  days 
later  he  spoke  at  a  meeting  of  the  New  York  Historical 
Society,  following  Mr.  Bancroft  and  Rev.  Dr.  Osgood, 
on  a  paper  by  Washington. 

In  March  he  began  lectures  at  the  Seminary,  prepar- 
ing them  as  he  went  on.  This  course  was  a  continuation 
of  that  given  in  the  previous  autumn,  on  Apologetics, 
and  embraced  the  topics  of  Miracles,  Materialism, 
Evolution,  etc. 

He  gave  more  strength  than  he  could  well  spare  to  the 
library  and  to  his  Revieio.  He  was  urged  to  give  up  the 
Heview,  but  he  considered  its  editorship  as  an  impor- 
tant trust  from  his  branch  of  the  reunited  Pi-esbyterian 
Church,  and  as,  possibly,  his  only  future  sphere  of  ser- 
vice for  the  Church.  He  went  on  with  his  lectures,  giv- 
ing them  regularly  for  a  month,  until  one  day  he  came 
home  very  v/eary,  and  a  week  of  prostration  followed, 
before  he  could  resume  them. 

His  brother,  during  these  weeks,  had  been  gradually 
failing,  in  great  suffering  ;  and  it  was  not  without  serious 
effects  upon  himself,  that  Professor  Smith  made  his  fre- 
quent visits  to  Brooklyn.     On  Tuesday,  the  twenty-fifth 

*  Of  the  National  Bank  of  Northampton,  of  securities  to  the  amount  of  a 
million  and  a  quarter  of  dollars. 


Last   Years.  297 

of  April,  he  found  his  brother  greatly  changed,  thongli 
still  x^reserving  the  gentle  dignity  and  courtesy  which 
had  been  remarkable  through  all  his  months  of  suffer- 
ing. The  brothers  were  by  themselves  for  a  time,  and 
the  interview  deeply  affected  Professor  Smith,  although 
he  did  not  sui)pose  it  would  be  the  last.  The  following 
nights  revealed  its  effects  upon  his  excited  brain.  When, 
on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  a  dispatch  from  Brooklyn 
gave  notice  that  the  last  hour  was  at  hand,  he  was  so 
exhausted,  after  a  night  of  suffering,  that  his  physician, 
whose  advice  was  sought,  forbade  his  being  informed  of 
it  until  he  should  be  somewhat  refreshed  by  sleep. 
Later  in  the  day  he  went  over  to  Brooklyn,  and,  after 
his  return,  he  wi'ote  the  following  letter  to  his  mother  : 

New  York,  April  27,  1876. 

My  deak  Mother  :  As  you  have  already  heard  by  telegraph, 
our  dear  Horatio  was  released  from  his  bodily  sufferings  this 
morning  aljout  nine  o'clock.  He  was  seemingly  unconscious 
from  midnight.  For  the  last  two  or  three  days  I  think  he  suf- 
fered little.  I  saw  him  on  Tuesday  afternoon  (he  rode  out  on 
Monday),  and  he  was  weak  and  weary,  and  longing  for  the  change 
to  come.  He  consciously,  and  solemnly,  and  Joyfully  committed 
his  all  to  Christ.  His  trust  was  like  that  of  a  little  child — no 
doubt,  no  questions.  He  was  ready  and  glad  to  go  and  be  with 
Christ. 

He  had  that  morning  received  your  dear  letter,  and  aunt  C.'s 
and  Miss  T.'s.  All  three  came  on  that  day— his  last  words  of 
love  from  home — and  he  was  deeply  thankful.  Over  and  over 
he  expressed  his  thankfulness  for  those  loving  epistles — especially 
yours.  He  loved  you  deeply  to  the  end,  and  knew  all  he  owed 
to  you.  He  deferred  writing  you  the  fatal  message  as  long  as  he 
could,  so  as  not  to  add  to  your  burdens,  but  you  were  always  in 
his  thoughts.  He  knew  last  summer  that  he  had  probably  seen 
you  for  the  last  time.  Whenever  we  met,  he  talked  of  you  ten- 
derly. God  gave  you  to  us  to  be  the  guide  of  our  youth  and  our 
comfort  through  life. 

I  think  that  Horatio  and  I  have  known  each  other  better  and 


2^gS  Henry  Boynton  Smith, 

loved  each  other  more  the  last  year  than  ever  before.  He  talked 
more  unreservedly  than  he  used  to  do — all  about  himself — the 
past  and  the  future.  His  whole  heart  came  out.  And  he  was 
so  honest  and  earnest,  so  penitent  and  grateful,  so  full  of  patience 
and  faith,  that  it  was  a  good  thing  to  be  with  him.  He  knew 
all  along,  unerringly,  what  he  must  go  through,  all  the  bodily 
torture,  the  whole  progress  of  the  disease.  He  prayed  to  be 
spared  the  pains,  if  possible,  but  he  did  not  murmur.  And  in 
the  midst  of  all  his  sufferings,  he  trusted  in  the  Lord,  and  found 
more  peace  than  ever  before.  He  wanted  to  live  to  see  how  his 
children  should  grow  up;  his  sharpest  pang  was  parting  from  his 
wife  and  children.  But  he  had  them  all  around  him  to  the  end. 
And  in  these  past  few  months  they  have  had  such  a  lesson  of 
Christian  faith  and  patience  as  will  be  hallowed  to  them  all  their 
days.  They  have  all  been  everything  to  him,  and  he  has  been 
more  to  them  than  they  could  ever  be  to  him. 

Dear  Horatio  !  I  see  him  now  in  his  sunny  youth,  in  his 
ardent  manhood,  when  he  was  so  handsome  and  noble  and  manly. 
I  recall  all  his  brotherly  love  for  me  aud  care  of  me  when  I  was 
weak  and  low  ;  how  he  helped  and  strengthened  me  ;  and  I  thank 
God  for  all  this.  No  jar  ever  came  between  us.  And  then  at 
length,  he  tolH  me  of  his  malady,  and  at  the  same  time  of  his 
renewed  consecration  to  Christ.  And  so  we  walked  together  till 
he  has  fallen  by  the  way — ^fallen  to  rise  again.  When  and  where 
shall  we  meet  again  ?  Father,  Fred,  mother,  and  you,  our  sec- 
ond mother,  to  whom  all  our  hearts  were  bound  ;  a  few  months 
more,  and  we  may  all  meet  again. 

Dear  mother,  the  Lord  bless  and  comfort  you.  I  know  He 
will,  for  He  doeth  all  things  wisely  and  well. 

Your  loving  son, 

Henry  B.  Smith. 


On  the  day  of  the  funeral,  a  friend  in  his  house  said 
to  him,  as  he  was  leading,  "A  week  ago,  Henry,  we 
thought  you  would  go  first."  His  only  reply  was  a 
quick,  bright  smile,  at  the  welcome  thought.  He  was 
hardly  able  to  go  through  with  the  services  in  church 
and  at  Greenwood,  from  which  he  returned  so  exhausted 


Last   Years. 


399 


that  his  son,  from  Trenton,  anxiously  remained  with 
him  tlirough  the  night. 

In  tlie  i)rivacy  of  home  his  bereaved  heart  gave  itself 
unwonted  expression,  but  outwardly  there  was  no 
change  in  his  life.  The  next  day  he  went,  as  usual,  to 
the  Seminary,  and  his  work  in  the  library  and  at  his 
own  study  desk  went  on  day  by  day.  At  the  close  of 
the  term,  early  in  May,  he  attended  some  of  the  exam- 
inations at  the  Seminary,  wrote  his  annual  report  as 
librarian,  and  addressed  the  alumni  at  their  meeting, 
but  feeling,  all  the  while,  that  his  day  was  past. 

He  was  not  one  of  those  who  find  comfort  in  speaking 
of  their  own  infirmities ;  he  bore  them,  for  the  most  part, 
with  a  silent  and  noble  patience.  Yet  there  were  times, 
when  the  long,  tense  struggle  with  pain  and  insomnia 
seemed  more  than  even  his  strong  will  could  endure. 
More  gentle  and  tender  than  ever  toward  others,  lament- 
ing that  his  heavy  cross,  which  he  called  ^''all  rigliV 
for  himself,  should  touch  those  whom  he  loved,  sensi- 
tively thankful  for  every  expression  of  sympathy,  his 
soul  yet  seemed  to  dwell  apart  among  the  high  things 
which  were  its  home  and  birth-right,  bearing,  as  it  best 
could,  with  its  poor  foster-brother,  the  body.  When 
asked,  during  a  period  of  unusual  suffering,  whether  he 
could  think  of  Christ,  he  replied,  in  a  tone  of  gentle 
reproach,  coupled  with  an  endearing  appellation:  "Do 
1  do  anythhig  else  .^"  At  another  time,  when  a  similar 
question  was  asked  about  prayer,  he  said  with  an  inde- 
scribable, sad  gentleness  :    "I  am  praying  all  tlie  tinier 

Sometimes,  refusing  companionship,  he  sought  relief 
in  the  open  au*,  and  wandered  for  hours  in  solitary 
places,  silently  praying  and  repeating  texts  of  Scripture, 
in  his  fierce,  lonely  conflict.  Only  He,  the  Divine  One, 
who  suffered  for  us,  knows  the  full  measure  or  meaning 
of  that  cup  of  suffering. 

Feeble  as  he  was  at  the  time,  he  went  twice  to  Brook- 
lyn, to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  general  assembly,  in 


400  Henry  Boynton  Smith, 

May,  wishing  to  hear  the  discussion  on  the  validity  of 
Roman  Catholic  Baptism,  which  subject  came  up  now 
for  the  first  time  since  his  own  active  part  in  it  in  1854. 
He  was  also  especially  interested  in  the  proceedings  in 
the  assembly  on  the  question  of  fraternizing  in  existing 
circumstances  with  the  Southern  churches.  On  both  of 
these  subjects  he  afterwards  wrote  vigorously  for  the 
Evangelist^  and  talked  vigorously  at  Chi  Alpha.  He 
also,  about  this  time,  wrote  for  the  Evangelist  lengthy 
criticisms  of  several  books,  Brinton's  "Religious  Senti- 
ment," Dr.  Dexter' s  "Roger  Williams,"  etc.,  and  he 
dictated  an  article  on  Apologetics,  for  the  July  number 
of  his  Review. 

The  last  of  May,  he  spent  a  week,  "  a  fine  week,"  in 
visiting  his  children  in  Trenton,  giving  one  day  to  the 
great  Centennial  Exposition  in  Philadelphia.  After  his 
return  home  he  wrote  the  article  on  Strauss,  for  Mr. 
Johnson's  Cyclopcedia. 

During  a  protracted  season  of  excessive  heat,  which 
set  in  about  the  last  of  June,  a  little  grandchild  was  at 
his  house,  too  ill  to  be  removed.  At  this  time  occuiTed 
the  great  Centennial  Jubilee,  on  the  Fourth  of  Jidy.  Al- 
though himself  seriously  iU,  from  the  effects  of  the  heat, 
he  rose,  unable  to  sleep,  from  his  bed,  and  walked  to 
Union  Square,  to  witness  the  memorable  midnight  cele- 
bration. A  few  days  later  he  went,  with  his  family,  to 
the  nearest  practicable  point  at  the  seaside,  New  Ro- 
chelle,  on  Long  Island  Sound.  For  a  fortnight  the  little 
child  was  in  an  almost  hopeless  condition,  and  his  own 
sleep  and  health  suffered  much  from  his  anxiety  and 
sympathy.  The  clouds  gathered  still  darker  around 
him,  when,  on  the  twentieth,  a  cable  telegram  announced 
the  sudden  death,  in  England,  of  another  little  grand- 
daughter, most  tenderly  dear  to  him.  As  soon  as  the 
first  gleams  of  hope  lightened  the  nearer  prospect,  he 
made  the  change,  urgently  needful  for  his  own  health, 
to  the  more  bracing  air  of  Maine. 


Last   Years.  401 

After  spending  the  Sunday  with  his  mother,  who  felt 
the  utmost  anxiety  at  his  feeble  appearance,  he  went 
out  to  "Front's  Neck."  There  he  enjoyed,  as  always, 
the  fields  and  woods,  the  rocks  and  surf,  the  changeful 
bay  and  the  broad  ocean,  which  give  such  varied  attrac- 
tions to  this  quiet  spot.  His  two  sons  and  two  nephews 
(the  sons  of  his  brother  Horatio)  were,  for  a  time,  to- 
gether there,  and  added  much  to  his  enjoyment.  Yet 
he  liked,  now  and  then,  to  be  alone  in  solitary  rambles, 
usually  coming  home  with  wild  flowers  in  his  hand. 

He  almost  regularly  conducted  the  Sunday  morning 
service  in  the  parlor  at  Captain  Silas  Libby's,*  which 
was  attended  by  the  summer  residents  at  the  different 
houses  on  the  "Neck,"  most  of  whom  came  year  after 
year,  having  at  least  one  point  of  sympathy  in  their 
common  preference  for  this  charming  locality. 

Here,  as  his  strength  partially  returned,  he  was  far 
from  being  idle.  He  wrote  for  his  Review  and  for  the 
Evangelist,  worked  regularly  on  Gieseler,  and  dictated 
the  article,  published  in  the  October  number  of  his 
Review,  on  "Recent  German  Works  on  Apologetics," 
which  included  a  translation  of  the  Introduction  to 
Ebrard's  Work. 

Oakhill,  Me.,  Scarboro',  August  5,  1876. 
My  dear  George  :  We  seom  to  be  miles  and  months  away, 
and  the  summer  is  fast  passing.  I  have  often  thought  of  writing 
you,  but  have  had  little  heart  for  that  or  anything  else.  It  has 
been  very  trying  to  us  all  in  many  respects.  I  Avas  just  begin- 
ning to  rally  back  a  little.     E.  has  written  your  wife  about  the 

details  of  sadness.     's  death  was  a  sudden  shock ;  it  will 

sadden  them  abroad  so  much,  too.  M.  brought  her  wee,  sick 
baby  on  in  all  the  summer  heats,  and  we  had  to  stay  for  it,  and 
be  with  her,  until  its  fate  was  mercifully  decided.     Such  a  sad. 


*  This  excellent  man  of  strong  character  and  simple  heart,   when  he 
heard,  the  next  spring,  of  the  death  of  Professor  Smith,  said,  with  tearful 
eyes,  "  He  was  a  good  man.     He  was  good  to  me." 
26 


402  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

patient  little  thing  I  never  saw.  .  .  .  We  came  to  Maine, 
not  knowing  where  we  could  find  a  place  ;  but  fortunately  got  in 
here  again,  and  I  mean  to  stay  till  I  am  better,  or  Avorse.  But  I 
think  1  shall  be  better — I  was  always  rather  on  that  side.  I 
have  heard  from  nobody,  and  seen  nobody,  excepting  Briggs, 
who  lives  at  New  Eochelle,  and  kept  working  in  New  York 
(library  and  all)  till  the  middle  of  July,  and  just  escaped  hav- 
ing a  fever.  Schaff,  too,  wrote  a  kind  letter.  ...  I  have 
no  plans  nor  prospects  of  any  account.  Nor  do  I  feel  specially 
anxious  or  worried.  But,  of  course,  I  can't  go  on  just  so.  .  .  . 
Your  wife  writes  that  you  are  not  well.  Come  and  try  this 
Maine  air.     It  is  very  good — worth  a  dozen  Vermonts. 

He  lingered  at  Front's  Neck,  reluctant  to  leave  it,  until 
Saturday,  the  IGth  of  September,  when,  after  his  last 
walk  to  the  woods  and  rocks,  and  his  usual  noon  game 
of  croquet,  he  went  into  town.  The  next  day  he  heard 
his  friend  and  former  pupil,  Rev.  Mr.  Fenn,  at  High 
Street  Church,  and  made  visits  to  several  friends  who 
were  in  sickness  or  sorrow ;  and  he  also  attended  the 
evening  service  at  the  State  Street  Church.  The  next 
morning,  in  a  heavy  rain,  he  visited  a  number  of  his  old 
friends,  and  in  the  afternoon  he  bade  farewell,  his  last 
farewell,  to  his  mother  and  to  Fortland. 

He  reached  New  York  the  next  morning,  and  at  once 
went  down  to  the  Reiriew  and  Evangelist  offices,  and 
began  to  work  in  the  Seminary  library. 

Frofessor  Huxley  was,  at  this  time,  closing  his  course 
of  lectures  in  New  York,  and  Frofessor  Smith  was  in 
time  to  hear  the  last  one — the  attempt  to  demonstrate 
evolution  from  the  changes  in  the  leg  of  the  horse.  The 
subject  was  discussed  at  Chi  Alpha  the  next  evening, 
and  he  spoke  upon  it,  considering  the  argument  unsatis- 
factory— that  though  the  lecturer  was  ' '  clear  and  posi- 
tive, he  overshot  his  mark,  in  trying  to  prove  too 
much." 

The  next  week  he  enjoyed  the  great  pleasure  of  hav- 
ing all  his  children  who  were  on  this  side  of  the  ocean 


Last    Years.  403 

together  at  liis  house,  at  the  christening  of  his  little 
granddaughter. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  in 
October,  lie  took  part  in  a  discussion  on  the  Bulgarians, 
to  whom  attention  was  then  directed  on  account  of  their 
sufferings  from  Turkish  atrocities. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  he  delivered  his  first  lecture, 
on  Apologetics,  to  the  new  junior  class  in  the  Seminary, 
and  continued  giving  one  lecture  each  week,  till  the 
12th  of  December. 

He  was  so  much  refreshed  by  his  long  stay  at  Front's 
Neck,  that,  in  his  usual  hopeful  spirit,  he  spoke  of  him- 
self at  this  time  as  ' '  very  well — better  than  for  a  long 
time,"  ignoring,  as  much  as  possible,  the  unfavorable 
indications.  The  will  so  far  lorded  it  over  the  infirmi- 
ties of  the  body  that  others  than  himself  were  blinded. 
One  thing,  at  least,  was  certain,  that  his  mental  powers 
were  in  their  highest  vigor  ;  however  thin  and  worn  the 
scabbard,  the  steel  was  at  its  keenest  and  brightest. 

For  three  successive  weeks  he  attended  the  weekly 
evening  service  in  the  chapel  of  the  Church  of  the  Cove- 
nant, where  he  spoke,  as  he  loved  to  do,  straight  from 
his  OAvn  glowing  heart  to  the  hearts  of  others.  It  was 
the  first  time  for  three  years  that  he  had  been  able  to  do 
this.  The  third  of  these  evenings  was  that  of  November 
first.    We  quote  his  pastor's  account  of  it : 

**The  subject  for  the  evening  was  one  of  the  Pilgrim  Psalms, 
the  122d  :  '  Jerusalem  is  builded  as  a  city  that  is  compact  to- 
gether. Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem.'  He  rose,  and  taking 
up  the  thought  of  what  Jerusalem  had  been  to  the  church  of  all 
ages  since  its  foundation,  he  dwelt  upon  the  love  and  longing 
which  had  gone  out  to  it  from  the  hearts  of  the  pilgrims  in  its 
palmy  days,  from  beneath  the  willows  of  Babylon,  from  prince 
and  devotee  and  Crusader,  touching  here  and  there  upon  salient 
points  in  its  history,  until,  Avith  the  warmer  glow  of  emotion 
stealing  into  his  tremulous  voice,  he  led  our  thoughts  to  the 
Jerusalem  above,  the  Christian  pilgrim's  goal,  and  the  rest  and 


404  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

perfect  joy  of  the  weaiy.  The  talk  was  like  the  gem  in  Tha- 
laba's  mystic  ring — a  cut  crystal  full  of  fire.  Perhaps  some- 
thing of  his  own  weariness  and  struggle  crept  unconsciously  into 
his  words,  and  gave  them  their  peculiar  depth  and  tenderness. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  we  never  heard  his  voice  in  the  sanctuary 
again." 

The  subject  of  Evolution  was  again  discussed  in  the 
circle  of  Chi  Alpha.  "One  of  the  rarest  treats  of  our 
life,"  wrote  Kev.  William  Taylor,  D.D.,  "was  to  hear 
him  one  Saturday  evening  of  last  October,  give  a  brief 
talk  on  the  subject  of  evolution,  which  showed  that  he 
had  mastered  all  that  had  been  written,  from  Hseckel  to 
Huxley,  and  that  he  had  his  own  opinion  upon  the  sub- 
ject, and  could  give  good  reasons  for  maintaining  it."  * 

"They  were  the  most  eloquent  words  I  ever  heard 
from  human  lips,"  said  one  who  sat  at  his  side,  im- 
pressed by  the  contrast  between  the  strong  intellect  and 
the  tremulously  frail  body.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting, 
Rev.  Dr.  Adams  made  to  a  friend  the  suggestion  that 
Professor  Smith  should  be  appointed  the  next  lecturer 
on  the  Ely  foundation. f  This  suggestion  was  followed 
in  a  few  days  by  an  official  request  to  that  effect  from 
the  faculty  and  directors  of  the  Seminary. 

This  appointment  he  received  and  accepted  with  the 
greatest  satisfaction.  It  was  his  purpose  to  work  into 
these  lectures  the  mass  of  valuable  collectanea  which 
he  had  long  been  making,  and  which  he  had  imrtially 
used  in  the  preparation  of  his  courses  on  Apologetics. 
Into  no  work  could  he  have  entered  with  greater  inter- 
est, and  he  considered  himself  better  able  to  perform 
it  than  ever  before.  Yet,  at  the  same  time,  he  said, 
"After  this  is  done  I  think  I  shall  be  ready  to  go;" 
and  again,  "After  this  is  done,  I  am  done." 

*  Christian  at  Work,  February  15,  1877. 

f  A  lectureship  on  ' '  The  Evidences  of  Christianity, "  established  by  Mr. 
Z.  S.  Ely,  of  New  York  City. 


Last   Years.  405 

About  this  time  lie  wrote  some  important  editorials 
for  the  Evangelist,  on  Dr.  Spear's  "Bible  in  Schools," 
"  President  Johnson' s  Proclamation  a  Violation  of  the 
Constitution,"  and  "Ministers  and  Science." 

He  made,  too,  his  usual  preparation  of  book  notices 
and  literary  intelligence  for  the  January  number  of  his 
liemew. 

He  spent  Thanksgiving  day,  November  30th,  with  his 
children  at  Trenton,  taking  gi-eat  enjoyment  in  the  home 
circle,  and  conversing  in  his  most  genial  mood.  The 
next  day  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  made  a  de- 
lightful visit  to  his  dear  friends.  Dr.*  and  Mrs.  Goodwin, 
and  returned  home  on  Saturday.  During  the  following 
week  he  enjoyed  visits  from  two  of  his  college  class- 
mates. Rev.  Cyrus  Hamlin,  D.D.,  of  Constantinoj)le, 
and  Hon.  Peleg  W.  Chandler,  of  Boston,  with  both  of 
whom  he  had  maintained  a  firm  friendship  through  life. 

On  Sunday,  the  10th  of  December,  he  stayed  quietly 
at  home  in  the  morning,  as  he  was  suffering  from  the 
effects  of  the  severely  cold  weather  ;  but  in  the  after- 
noon he  was  present  at  the  communion  service,  for  the 
last  time. 

The  next  day  he  wrote  his  last  article  for  the  Evan- 
gelist, that  on  "  Sunday  Legislation."  f 

On  Tuesday  he  lectured  at  the  Seminary  for  the  last 
time,  his  subject  being  "Relative  Knowledge."  After 
his  lecture,  as  was  his  custom,  he  worked  for  a  while  in 
the  library. 

On  the  following  day  he  had  a  long  conference  with 
his  co-editor,  Rev.  Dr.  Atwater,  on  Review  matters. 

On  Friday,  after  evening  prayers  at  the  Seminary,  he 
bade  farewell  to  his  friend  and  colleague.  Rev.  Philip 
Schaff,  D.D.,  who  sailed  the  next  day  for  Palestine. 

*  Now  Professor  of  Systematic  Divinity  in  the  Divinity  School  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

f  nis  article  on  "Common  Sense  about  Keligion,"  although  published 
later,  was  written  earlier. 


4o6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

On  Saturday  morning  he  received  a  visit  from  his 
old  friend,  Rev.  Frederick  A.  Adams,  of  Orange,  N.  J. 
Other  visitors  came,  some  for  advice  and  assistance,  and 
the  day  was  filled  up  with  reading.  In  the  afternoon 
he  went  to  the  rooms  of  Rev.  Henry  M.  Field,  D.D.,  to 
the  weekly  meeting  of  the  "Chi  Alpha,"  from  which  he 
was  never  willingly  absent,  and  took  part  in  the  discus- 
sion on  "Public  Schools."  It  was  his  last  presence  in 
this  beloved  circle  of  "Christian  Brothers."  He  was 
nearer  than  he  thought  to  the  Father' s  house.  Yet  it 
was  very  evident  to  his  friends  that  God  was  graciously 
preparing  him  for  a  better  world.  "  Those  who  knew 
him  most  intimately,"  wrote  one  who  knew  him  as  few 
did,  "had,  of  late,  often  observed  in  him  an  unusual 
tenderness,  humility,  and  sweet  gentleness  of  spirit ;  he 
seemed  to  cling  closer  and  closer  to  Christ  ;  his  prayers 
were  full  of  holy  fervor  and  unction,  and  his  religious 
talk,  in  the  fellowship  of  his  Christian  brethren,  was,  at 
times,  marked  by  a  tone  of  wondrous  elevation,  beauty, 
and  pathos."  * 

He  returned  home  from  Chi  Alpha  thoroughly  chilled; 
the  night  was  extremely  cold  and  the  distance  long. 
The  next  day  he  was  suffering  from  a  severe  influenza, 
and  a  fierce  attack  of  neuralgia  in  the  chest.  A  hard 
cough  with  feverish  excitement  followed,  attended  by 
some  painful  symptoms,  which  he  considered  not  serious 
for  the  present,  but  indicative  of  a  fatal  result  in  the 
future.  At  first  he  objected,  as  usual,  to  the  attendance 
of  a  physician,  feeling  that  medical  remedies  had  been 
exhausted  in  his  case,  and  that  now  he  had  only  to  suf- 
fer in  patience  and  silent  submission.  Yet  sometimes 
his  fortitude  partially  gave  way:  "  Pain,  ^i^re  ^r/m  / 
do  you  know  what  that  is  ?  I  hope  you  never  will ! ' ' 
"  Did  ever  a  man  have  such  a  fight  ?  "  and  prayers,  with 


*  Rev.  G.  L.  Prentiss,  D.D.     Introductory  Notice  to  "  Faith  and  Philos- 
ophy." 


Last    Years.  407 

strong  crying  and  tears,  for  God's  mercy  and  help,  were 
uttered  in  broken  words. 

The  sufferings  of  these  weeks  need  not  be  recounted. 
He  had  so  often  rallied  from  the  extreme  depths  of 
prostration,  that  neither  himself,  his  family,  nc^r  his 
physician  (Dr.  Alfred  C.  Post)  believed  that  such  was 
not  now  to  be  the  case.  His  own  conviction  was  that  he 
should  recover,  yet  there  were  indications  that  he  ad- 
mitted the  other  possibility.  He  spoke,  from  time  to 
time,  of  his  children,  of  his  temporal  affairs,  of  his  rela- 
tions to  the  Seminary,  of  conversations  which  he  had 
long  wished  to  have  with  one  and  another  person  :  and 
in  half -uttered  breathings  of  prayer  he  committed  him- 
self to  God. 

As  the  weeks  passed,  it  was  evident  that  his  strength 
was  failing.     One  night  he  spoke  of  a  decisive  evidence 

of  this,  and  after  a  pause,  said  emphatically:    " , 

dear,  I  have  trusted  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  have 
tried  to  serve  him,  in  spite  of  everything." 

"  And  you  do  now  % " 

"  Je5,  with  all  rny  hearty 

"And  you  can  commit  everything  to  God?"  was 
asked  at  another  time. 

' '  Yes,  exeryth  iiig. ' ' 

One  day  as  the  words  were  read  to  him :  "H  we  re- 
ceive chastisement,  God  dealeth  with  us  as  sons,  etc.," 
he  responded:  "How  often  I  have  said  that  to  my- 
self!" On  another  day  he  repeated,  with  emphasis, 
the  words  of  St.  Paul:  "I  reckon  that  the  sufferings  of 
this  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with 
the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed." 

But  gradually  disease  gained  the  mastery,  and  he  lay 
for  many  days  in  a  half-comatose  condition,  of  which 
his  physician  was  doubtful  whether  it  were  not  the  effort 
of  nature  to  restore  herself. 

"Are  you  able  to  pray  ?  "  he  was  asked,  when  it  was 
doubtful  whether  he  could  understand  the  question. 


4o8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

"Verbally,  no.     Actually,-  yes.     I  cannot  talk  much,  of 
these  things." 

One  day,  when  he  seemed  unconscious  of  everything 
around  him,  some  choice  flowers,  sent  by  a  friend,  were 
arranged  upon  his  bed.  "Beautiful !  "  he  said,  and,  at 
his  evident  wish,  some  of  them  were  placed  in  his  hand, 
where  he  held  them  a  long  time. 

In  one  of  his  last  moments  of  consciousness,  he  said 
to  his  friend,  Mrs.  Prentiss,  "I  have  ceased  to  cumber 
myself  with  the  things  of  time  and  sense,  and  have  had 
some  precious  thoughts  about  death," 

"  0  God  .  .  .  accept  .  .  .  thy  Son,"  were  the 
last  words  of  prayer  heard  from  his  lips. 

But  these,  with  a  few  half -uttered  expressions  of 
earthly  love,  were  as  transient  gleams  from  the  thick 
cloud.  Yet  even  his  wandering  fancies  revealed  his 
characteristic  traits,  his  clear  statements,  his  incisive 
words,  his  fine  wit,  his  unselfish  thought  for  others. 
Imagining  himself,  at  one  time,  talking  to  one  of  his 
students,  he  gave  the  advice,  "  not  to  seek  a  high  place, 
but  to  take  the  position  that  is  offered." 

Weeks  passed  on,  in  the  silence  of  his  sick-room.  At 
last  his  absent  children  came  to  him,  and  others  whom 
he  would  have  chosen  to  be  with  him ;  and  none  but 
loving  hands  ministered  to  him,  by  day  and  night.  The 
two  faithful  friends  of  his  life,  Goodwin  and  Prentiss, 
were  with  him  in  this  his  last  need  of  the  ministries  of 
earthly  friendship ;  the  former  had  come  from  Phila- 
delphia to  see  him  once  more,  but  he  was  not  recognized 
by  the  clouded  vision.  "  Do  you  not  know  me,  Henry  %  " 
he  asked,  at  length.  "  Yes,  I  know  the  finest  thread  of 
that  intonation,  and  respond  to  it,"  was  the  immediate 
and  distinct  reply.  This  was  on  Friday  the  second  of 
February.  Soon  after  this  the  impenetrable  cloud  set- 
tled closely  around  him. 

On  Sunday  morning  it  was  thought  that  the  hour  of 
his  departure  was  near.      After  that  the  soul  seemed 


Last   Years.  409 

struggling  for  release.  For  days  and  nights  he  was 
crossing,  not  the  narrow  stream,  but  the  broad  river  of 
death,  and  could  not  reach  the  shore.  Early  on  Wed- 
nesday morning,  February  seventh,  came  the  glad  hour 
when  he  entered  the  blessed  port. 


410  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  FUNEEAL   SEEVICES. 

The  funeral  services  were  held  on  Friday,  the  ninth 
of  February.  We  quote,  for  the  most  part,  from  the 
account  of  them  in  the  New  York  Observer  of  the  follow- 
ing week, 

<*  At  half-past  one  o'clock,  the  Directors,  Faculty,  Alumni  and 
students  of  the  Seminary,  the  Faculties  of  other  institutions,  and 
the  clergy  generally,  met,  according  to  previous  notice,  in  the 
chapel  of  the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church,  to  give  ex- 
pression to  their  feelings  in  view  of  the  loss  sustained  in  the 
death  of  Professor  Smith.     The  chapel  was  filled  to  overflowing. 

''Eev.  Dr.  Adams,  President  of  the  Seminary,  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and,  after  prayer  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hutton,  a  commemoratory 
paper  with  resolutions*  was  read  by  Eev.  Dr,  Chambers  of  the 
Collegiate  Dutch  Church. 

"These  resolutions  were  seconded  by  Dr.  Hastings,  an  alumnus 
of  Union  Seminary,  who  spoke  of  the  influence  of  Dr.  Smith,  as 
a  professor,  on  his  students. 

"  Remarks  were  then  made  by  TTon.  Samuel  Fessenden,  a  col- 
lege classmate  of  Dr.  Smith  ;  by  Dr.  Atwater  of  Princeton  Col- 
lege, with  reference  to  Dr.  Smith  as  an  editor  of  the  American 
Tlieological  and  Princeton  Revieiv ;  by  Dr.  Fisher,  of  New 
Haven  Theological  Seminary,  and  Dr.  Hurst,  of  Drew  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  the  Methodist  Church,  in  regard  to  his  in- 
fluence on  the  study  of  Church  History  in  this  country  ;  by  Dr. 
Green,  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  expressing  the  sym- 
pathy of  Princeton  with  Union  m  her  loss  ;  by  Professor  Martin, 

*  See  Appendix,  fl. 


The  Ftincral  Services.  411 

of  the  University  of  New  York,  speaking  of  his  S3-stcm  of  The- 
olog}^  us  having  Clirist  for  its  central  and  controlling  principle  ; 
by  Dr.  Bush,  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  referring  to  his  influence 
upon  the  teachers  in  mission  seminaries  in  foreign  lands  ;  by  Dr. 
Anderson  of  the  Baptist  Church,  showing  his  broad  and  catholic 
spirit ;  by  Dr.  Osgood,  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  representing 
the  high  appreciation  of  Dr.  Smith  by  men  of  culture.*  Dr. 
Stearns,  of  Newark,  related  an  incident  of  his  early  piety  and 
Christian  influence.  After  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions,  the 
procession  of  clergymen,  students  and  others  accompanied  his 
remains  to  the  Church  of  the  Covenant,  where  the  funeral  ser- 
vices proper  were  conducted." 

"The  assembly  in  the  church"  it  is  said  "  was  such 
as  is  seldom  seen  in  this  country.  It  represented  what- 
ever is  highest  and  best  in  American  culture  and  schol- 
arship, "f  The  services  were  opened  by  the  anthem: 
' '  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying,  Write,  blessed  are 
the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord,"  Rev,  Dr,  Adams 
then  read  selected  passages  of  Scripture,  beginning  with 
the  words :  "  Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince  and  a 
great  man  fallen  this  day  in  Israel?"  and  led  the  as- 
sembly in  prayer. 

Professor  Smith' s  favorite  hymn : 

"  0  gift  of  gifts  !  0  grace  of  faith  ! "  etc. 

was   sung,  the  voices  of  his  students  joining  with  the 

*  A  few  weeks  later,  Dr.  Osgood  closed  a  critique  of  the  "  Life  and  Writ- 
ings of  St.  John,"  by  J.  M.  MacDonald,  D.D.,  with  the  following  words  : 

"  It  is  well  that  in  both  directions,  the  ideal  and  the  practical,  the  St.  John 
spirit  is  spreading,  and  never  was  a  more  expressive  sign  of  it  given  than  at 
the  funeral  of  our  foremost  theological  scholar,  Prof,  Henry  B.  Smith,  in 
this  city,  last  month,  when  chosen  men  from  all  schools  and  churches  spoke 
their  tribute  to  his  worth,  and  over  his  coffin,  crowned  with  fair  and  sweet 
flowers,  prayer  and  music  wafted  his  cherished  name  upward  to  the  commu- 
nion of  open  vision  and  perfect  love.  There  was  as  much  of  the  St.  John 
mind  and  heart  in  that  devoted  and  gifted  scholar  as  in  any  man  our  Amer- 
ica has  produced."— iV^e?<'  York  Times,  March  25,  1877. 

f  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss.     Introduction  to  "  Faith  and  Philosophy." 


412  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

choir.  The  one  hundred  and  sixteenth  Psalm,  that  fune- 
ral hymn  of  the  early  church,  which  more  than  once 
had  been  the  midnight  utterance  of  his  own  cries  out  of 
the  depths,  was  read,  with  deep  emotion,  by  his  friend, 
Rev.  Dr.  Stearns.  Then  were  read,  according  to  a  wish 
once  expressed  by  himself,  the  last  verses  of  the  second 
chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  in  which  Jesus 
Christ  is  proclaimed  as  the  Restorer,  the  Reconciler, 
the  Way,  and  the  chief  comer-stone. 

Addresses  were  made  by  Rev.  Drs.  Vincent,  Prentiss, 
and  Goodwin,  after  which  was  sung  the  hymn  : 

* '  Now  let  our  souls  on  wings  sublime, 
Rise  from  the  vanities  of  time,"  etc. 

and  the  services  were  closed  by  a  prayer  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Paxton. 

The  address  of  Rev.  Dr.  Vincent,  that  clear,  strong 
and  glowing  portraiture  of  his  friend  and  parishioner, 
having  been  widely  published  in  different  forms  and 
also  largely  quoted  from  in  the  preceding  pages,  is  not 
given  here.  The  addresses  of  Rev.  Drs.  Prentiss  and 
Goodwin  have  not  before  been  in  print. 

Address  of  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss  * 

"  My  acquaintance  with  Hexkt  B.  Smith  began  while  we 
were  yet  boys,  and  it  soon  ripened  into  a  friendship,  which,  for 
now  more  than  forty  years,  has  been  to  me  a  constant  joy  and 
benediction.  My  recollections  of  him  go  back  so  far ;  they 
touch  his  life  and  my  own  at  so  many  points  ;  they  are  so  varied, 
precious,  and  full  of  interest,  and  they  come  rushing  upon  me 
so  fast  that,  out  of  the  very  abundance  of  the  heart,  the  mouth 
is  at  loss  where  to  begin  or  what  to  speak. 

"  Shall  I  speak  of  him  as  I  first  knew  him  in  college  and  in 
his  early  home  ?  or  as  I  knew  him  a  feAV  years  later  in  Germany, 
and,  still  later,  in  his  country  parish  at  West  Amesbury  ?  or  shall 

*  It  is  due  to  Dr.  Prentiss  to  say  that  the  notes  of  his  address  were  quite 
imperfect,  and  that  more  or  less  of  it  has  been  entirely  lost. 


The  Funeral  Services.  413 

I  rather  speak  of  liim  as,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
many  of  you,  as  well  as  I,  have  known  him  in  this  city  ?  I  do 
not  think  it  matters  much  where  I  begin,  for  to  depict  him  in 
any  one  of  these  different  situations  is  to  portray  him  in  them 
all.  From  whichever  point  of  view  taken,  the  picture  would  not 
vary,  except  in  ever-growing  strength  and  fullness  of  expression. 
The  boy  produced  the  man,  and  his  days  w-ere  *  Bound  each 
to  each  by  natural  piety.'  The  same  rare  qualities  of  head 
and  heart  that  so  endeared  him  to  us,  secured  for  him  the  warm 
friendship  and  admiration  of  such  men  as  Tholuck,  and  XJlrici, 
and  Neander,  and  Hengstenberg,  when,  nearly  forty  years  ago, 
he  was  sitting  at  their  feet  as  a  student  of  divinity  and  philos- 
ophy. How  well  I  recall,  at  this  moment,  a  scene  I  once  Avitnessed 
in  Halle  !  It  was  at  a  literary  supper — a  banquet,  I  might  call 
it,  of  the  genius,  and  learning,  and  wit,  and  Gemuthlichkeit  of 
that  old  university,  then  in  its  palmy  days.  Tholuck,  Leo,  Witte, 
Ulrici,  Erdmann,  and  other  famous  scholars  and  theologians  were 
there.  The  young  American  student  sat  in  the  midst  of  them, 
and  I  sat  where  I  had  him  in  full  view.  The  occasion  wrought 
upon  him  strongly.  Speaking  German  with  much  fluency,  he 
took  part  in  the  conversation  as  though  he  were  using  his  native 
tongue. «  I  shall  never  forget  his  look  and  bearing  that  evening, 
or  the  impression  it  made  upon  me.  Those  of  you,  who  knew 
him  intimately,  recall,  doubtless,  that  singular  intellectual  radi- 
ance and  spiritual  glow  which,  at  times — before  disease  began  to 
prey  upon  it — would  fairly  transfigure  his  fine,  manly  face.  I 
never  before,  or  since,  saw  even  his  countenance  so  beautiful.  He 
was  not  only  a  special  favorite  with  his  professors,  but  a  special 
favorite  wherever  he  went  ;  and  there  are  domestic  circles  in 
Germany  to-day  where,  after  a  third  of  a  century,  he  is  still  re- 
membered with  delight,  both  for  his  superior  culture  and  the 
attractive  charm  of  his  manners.  Among  his  most  intimate 
friends  in  Halle  and  Berlin,  were  Kahnis,  Godet,  Besser,  and 
others  who  have  since  become  eminent,  both  at  home  and 
abroad,  for  their  learning  and  influence. 

''Let  us  now  return  to  our  own  shores  ;  and  here  let  me  say,  in 
passing,  that  with  all  his  hearty  admiration  for  German  erudi- 
tion and  German  thought,  he  never  sacrificed,  in  the  least,  his 
American  principles,  whether  in  Church,  or  State,  or  Religion. 


414  Henry  Boynto7i  Smith. 

The  wisdom  he  learned  in  the  land  of  Luther,  Schleiermacher 
and  Hegel  was  engrafted  upon— it  did  not  supplant  or  im- 
pair—the hardy,  native  stock  of  his  New  England  faith,  culture, 
and  good  sense.  To  his  dying  day  he  was  through  and  through 
an  American,  and  a  true  son  of  the  Pilgrims.  As  such  he  took 
the  deepest  interest  in  all  public  affairs  and  questions — civil  as 
well  as  ecclesiastical ;  and  in  almost  my  last  interview  with  him, 
he  spoke  of  the  political  situation  with  that  sagacious  and  dis- 
criminating judgment  which  never  failed.  He  came  as  near 
what  seems  to  me  the  ideal  of  the  American  scholar  as  any  man 
I  have  ever  known.  His  literary  culture  was  marvelously  deep, 
varied  and  comprehensive ;  and  his  literary  interest  was  all-ab- 
sorbing and  as  catholic  as  the  whole  wide  world  of  books  ;  theo- 
logy, philosophy,  history,  poetry,  belles-lettres,  criticism,  sci- 
ence— at  least  in  its  highest  principles — he  was  at  home  in  them 
all.  To  many  before  me  his  library  is  indissolubly  associated 
with  himself.  It  was  a  counterpart  of  the  man.  What  pleasant 
hours  some  of  you  have  passed  there  !  To  me  it  is  full  of  mem- 
ories, which  will  be  fragrant  and  delightful  to  my  last  hour. 
How  often  have  we  there  talked  over  almost  all  things,  human 
and  divine  !  A  great  deal  of  the  best  of  what  I  know  was 
learned  there.  He  was  one  of  the  most  accomplished  bibliogra- 
phers in  the  country.  And  how  he  loved  to  serve  a  friend  in  the 
matter  of  books  !  The  last  time  I  ever  saw  him  on  his  feet  was 
in  such  a  service.  I  inquired  of  him,  in  behalf  of  a  friend  whom 
I  see  before  me,  about  a  certain  rare  pamphlet  on  Spinoza.  He 
said  he  had  it,  and  instantly,  against  my  most  urgent  protest, 
rose  up  from  his  dying  bed  and  tottered — for  he  could  not  walk 
otherwise — into  his  library  in  search  of  it.  Not  finding  it  at 
once,  and  his  strength  failing,  he  consented  to  leave  the  search 
to  me.  It  was  the  last  time  he  entered  that  splendid  library — 
that  sweet  home  and  resting-place  of  his  wearied  mind.  His  body 
lay  there  to-day  while  awaiting  its  burial,  but  he  himself  never 
saw  it  again.*  The  only  other  man  I  ever  knew,  who  seemed 
equally  fond  of  books,  and  equally  master  of  their  contents,  was 

*  The  friend  referred  to  was  the  late  Rev.  Samuel  Osgood,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
between  whom  and  Prof.  Smith  there  existed  a  warm  friendship.  It  so 
happened  that  one  of  Dr.  Osgood's  last  acts  was  a  kindly  service  in  memory 
of  Prof.  Smith. 


The  Funeral  Services.  415 

Julius  Hare,  the  friend  of  Arnold  and  Bunscn.  Books  over- 
flowed all  the  rooms  and  every  nook  and  corner  of  his  Hurst- 
monceaux  rectory  ;  and  if  you  asked  him  for  one  he  would  hasten 
as  if  by  instinct,  to  the  right  spot,  seize  it,  and  bring  it  to  you 
with  that  intellectual  zest  and  kindness  which  marked  Prof. 
Smith. 

"I  shall  say  but  little  of  the  public  life  and  character  of  our 
friend,  after  the  elaborate,  faithful  portraiture  of  it  to  which  we 
have  been  listening.  I  will  only  express  my  conviction  that 
should  the  story  of  his  noble  career  ever  be  fully  told,  his  name 
will  be  enrolled,  by  general  consent,  among  those  of  the  most  use- 
ful and  most  remarkable  men  of  his  generation.  His  services  to 
the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States,  and  to  Christian  truth,  are  simply  inestim- 
able. Our  country  has  produced  no  theologian  Avho  coml)iiied 
in  a  higher  degree  the  best  learning,  literary  and  philosophical 
culture,  wise,  discriminating  thought,  and  absolute  devotion  to 
Christ  and  His  kingdom.  It  is  matter  for  profound  regret  that 
he  was  not  able  to  give  to  the  public  his  theological  sj-stem.  It 
had  been  elaborated  with  the  utmost  care,  contained  the  ripe 
fruit  of  his  genius,  as  well  as  of  his  faith  and  his  life-long  studies, 
and  would  have  been  a  great  and  lasting  boon  to  the  world. 

*'  The  last  eight  years  have  been  to  our  lamented  friend  years 
of  infinite  trial,  disappointment,  and  suffering.  During  these 
eight  years — and  especially  during  the  past  three  or  four — he  has 
fought  the  battle  of  life,  as  a  beleaguered,  fainting  garrison  fight 
against  fearful  odds  and  give  way  only  inch  by  inch.  Every 
heart  hioiueth  his  own  bitterness.  Our  dear  friend,  now  hap- 
pily at  rest  in  God,  has  known,  during  these  years,  as  few  are  ever 
called  to  know,  what  is  it  to  cry  unto  God  out  of  the  depths.  He 
has  breathed,  day  and  night,  the  stispiria  e  jirofundis,  and  had 
fellowship  with  the  sufferings  of  his  Lord.  I  never  witnessed  a 
sharper  or  more  heroic  struggle  ;  struggle  to  resist  the  doom  of 
fatal  disease  ;  struggle  to  hold  up  the  weary  head  above  the 
roaring  billows  ;  struggle  to  be  patient  and  submissive  amid  sore 
temptations  to  murmur  and  repine  ;  struggle  to  finish  noble 
work  for  Christ  and  His  church,  which  could  never  be  finislicd. 
But  it  is  all  over  now%  and  the  victory  has  been  unexpectedly 
won  ;  though  not  in  the  way  he  hoped  to  win  it.     I  do  not  be- 


41 6  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

lieve  that  for  many  a  day  any  redeemed  spirit  has  entered  into 
the  presence  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  had  enshrined  Him  more 
completely  in  his  inmost  being,  loved  and  strove  to  serve  Him 
more  ardently  ;  or  gazes  with  a  more  exulting  and  large-minded 
joy  upon  that  beatific  vision  than  he,  who  on  last  AVednesday 
morning,  passed  away  from  our  poor  fellowship  to  that  of  the 
church  triumphant. 

"One  of  the  things  that  embittered  the  struggle  of  which  I 
have  spoken,  was  a  persistent  and  pitiless  insomnia.  How  little 
those  who  have  not  experienced  this  trouble,  or  witnessed  its 
effects  in  their  own  household,  dream  of  the  tragedies  of  mental 
and  physical  torture  which,  unobserved  by  the  world,  are  some- 
times enacted  in  the  lives  of  its  victims  !  The  habitual  loss  of 
sleep,  that  'balm  of  hurt  minds,'  is  often  a  calamity  only  second 
to  the  loss  of  reason  itself.  And  yet  out  of  this  loss,  when  sanc- 
tified by  tender,  devout,  and  loving  thoughts,  may  blossom  forth 
fruits  of  unearthly  beauty  and  sweetness. 

"Wer  nie  sein  Brod  mit  Thranen  ass, 

Wer  nieht  die  kummervollen  Nachte 
Auf  seinem  Bette  weinend  sass, 

Der  kennt  euch  nicht,  ihr  hinimlischen  Maehte. 

"Many  a  time,  in  the  midst  of  wakeful,  care-worn  nights,  did 
our  friend,  now  asleep  in  Jesus,  have  intercourse  with  the  heavenly 
Powers,  and  catch  glimpses  of  things  unseen  and  eternal.  There 
was,  ever  and  anon,  a  spiritual  elevation,  as  well  as  gentleness,  in 
his  talk  and  manner,  that  could  not  otherwise  be  explained.  His 
troubles  made  him  very  humble  and  tender-hearted  also.  In 
January,  1874,  when  the  final  breaking  down  of  his  system  ren- 
dered it  necessary  that  he  should  resign  his  chair  in  the  Semi- 
nary, a  step  which  cost  him  an  agony  of  mental  conflict  and 
disappointment — for  it  seemed  to  say,  both  to  him  and  to  the 
world,  that  his  work  was  almost  over — I  visited  him  at  Clifton 
Springs.  Jfever  shall  I  forget  that  visit,  or  the  sweet.  Christian 
temper  in  which  he  submitted  to  the  inevitable.  '  I  think'  (he 
wrote  to  me  soon  after  my  return),  '  I  think  I  see  everything 
more  and  more  clearly  ;  and  I  feel  better  and  stronger  for  it.  I 
am  looking  away  more  and  more  from  the  incidents  and  acci- 
dents, and  trying  to  read  God's  purpose  in  it ;  and  that  seems 


The  Funeral  Services.  417 

to  me  clear.  I  needed  the  chastisement ;  I  pray  that  it  may  do  me 
good,  and  cause  me  to  live  wholly  and  only  for  my  Master.  .  .  . 
I  have  no  special  fear  about  the  future ;  the  Lord  will  provide  ; 
I  humbly  hope  that  He  who  has  spared  me  will  not  forsake  me ; 
that  He  will  in  every  deed  deliver  my  life  from  destruction, 
and  let  me  yet  sec  His  goodness  in  the  land  of  the  living.' 

The  spirit  that  breathes  in  these  touching  words,  pervaded  the 
whole  closing  period  of  his  life.  Those  who  heard  him  talk 
or  pray  in  the  Bible  class  and  other  devout  gatherings  at  Clifton 
Springs,  or  in  the  weekly  service  of  this  church  ;  still  more,  those 
who  had  most  intimate  communings  with  him  in  the  privacy  of 
his  home,  and  in  the  inner  sanctuary  of  his  own  thoughts,  will 
bear  witness  that  it  was  so.  His  piety  had  always  been  marked 
by  childlike  simplicity,  freedom,  and  a  fearless  confidence  ;  it 
was  now  especially  marked  by  a  keen  and  deepening  sense,  on 
the  one  hand,  of  the  power  and  glory  of  Christ  his  Lord  ;  and,  on 
the  other,  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  poor,  lost  sinner  saved  by 
grace  alone. 

' '  '  The  best  of  what  we  do  and  are, 
Just  God  forgive — ' 

is  a  sentiment  that  met  with  a  full  response  in  his  heart.  .  .  . 
**  I  looked  over  again,  not  long  ago,  those  two  gems  of  litera- 
ture— Lord  Bacon's  essay  on  Friendship,  and  the  chapters  of 
Aristotle's  Nicomachean  Ethics  on  the  same  subject.  A  good  deal 
of  what  these  two  master  intellects  of  the  race  say  about  it, 
would  strike  most  readers  of  the  present  day,  I  am  afraid,  as 
somewhat  visionary.  Friendship,  of  the  sort  there  described,  is  to 
the  many  one  of  the  lost  arts.  They  know  not  what  is  meant  by 
such  intimate  union  and  such  devotion  to  another  self.  It 
requires  a  genial  depth  and  sensibility  of  nature,  fully  to  under- 
stand these  things.  Few  men  'perceive  what  solitude  is,  and 
how  far  it  extendeth  ;  for  a  crowd  is  not  company,  and  faces  are 
but  a  gallery  of  pictures,  and  talk  but  a  tinkling  cymbal,  where 
there  is  no  love.  .  .  .  No  receipt  openeth  the  heart  but  a 
true  friend,  to  whom  you  may  impart  griefs,  joys,  fears, 
hopes,  suspicions,  counsels,  and  whatsoever  lieth  upon  the  lieart 
to  oppress  it,  in  a  kind  of  civil  shrift,  or  confession.  .  .  . 
Friendship  maketh  indeed  a  fair  day  in  the  affections  from  storm 


41 8  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

and  tempests,  but  it  maketh  daylight  in  the  understanding,  out 
of  darkness  and  confusion  of  thoughts.'  I  can  testify,  and  oth- 
ers can  testify  with  me,  that  these  notes  of  a  true  friend,  com- 
bined with  others  of  a  still  higher,  more  Christian  type,  were  all 
found  in  Henry  B.  Smith. 

"And  now,  for  a  little  time,  we  bid  him  farewell.  He  has 
fought  a  good  fight,  he  has  finished  his  course,  he  has  kept  the 
faith  ;  henceforth  his  society  will  be  that  of  saints  and  angels  in 
glory  everlasting ;  and  he  will  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever 
He  goeth.  Nor  on  earth  will  his  name  be  forgotten.  In  years 
to  come,  many  a  Christian  scholar  will  visit  his  grave,  near  by 
that  of  David  Brainerd,  in  the  old  burying  ground  at  North- 
ampton, and  thank  God  for  what  he  was  and  for  what  he  did  in 
the  service  of  the  blessed  IMaster  whom  he  so  loved  and  adored. 

"Wherefore,  let  us  comfort  one  another  with  these  thoughts." 

Address  of  Rev.  Prof.  D.  R.  Goodwin,  D.D, 

"My  relation  to  Dr.  Smith  has  been  private  and  personal  ;  so 
dear  and  deep,  so  intimate  and  sacred,  that  I  feel  my  place  to  be 
rather  with  his  immediate  family,  whose  hearts  are  bleeding  in 
silent  sorrow,  than  with  the  representatives  of  colleges  and  semi- 
naries, of  science  and  learning,  of  theology  and  religion,  who 
come  to  pour  out  their  grief  upon  his  bier  in  words  commemora- 
tive of  the  grandeur  of  his  life  and  character.  If  I  speak,  there- 
fore, you  must  pardon  the  egotism,  of  what  I  have  to  say. 

"You,  my  friends,  have  known  Dr.  Smith  as  the  man  of  vast 
and  varied  acquirements — the  finished  scholar,  the  great  theolo- 
gian, the  profound  and  acute  philosopher,  the  accomplished  and 
beloved  teacher,  the  learned  and  eloquent  divine ;  you  have 
known  him  as  the  faithful  and  helpful  colleague  and  companion, 
as  the  trusted  and  trustworthy  ecclesiastical  leader,  as  the  pure, 
humble,  noble  Christian  man.  I  have  known  him  as — Henry. 
And  '  Henry  '  has  meant  for  me  all  that  you  have  thus  known, 
and  unspeakably  more; — 'Henry,' — a  name  whose  very  sound 
vibrates  upon  my  ear  with  tones  sweeter  than  any  melody,  whose 
thought  is  associated  with  the  dearest  memories,  with  the  warm 
and  unvarying  love  of  a  long  life-time. 

"  My  first  acquaintance  with  Henry  was  upon  his  entering  Bow- 


The  Funeral  Services.  419 

doin  Colloge  as  a  freshman  v;licn  I  became  a  junior.  He  was 
then  foui-teen  years  of  age,  and  I  was  a  few  years  his  senior. 
He  was  a  sunny,  buoyant,  brilliant,  merry,  fascinating  youth, 
blooming  in  health  and  genial  in  character,  effervescing  Avith 
wit,  humor,  and  boyish  spirits,  breathing  the  purity  and  sweet 
aroma  of  the  most  beautiful  domestic  training,  adorned  with 
high  social  culture,  with  a  mind  already  liberalized  by  large  and 
well-chosen  reading,  and  a  heart  of  warm  and  clinging  affection. 
I  saw  him  and  knew  him.  I  loved  him,  and  the  love  was  recip- 
rocated. It  was  a  romantic  attachment ;  but  one  which  has 
grown  stronger  with  increasing  years,  without  losing  in  age  one 
jot  of  its  early  freshness  and  fervor.  It  has  been  a  true  and 
proper  friendship,  mutual,  unique,  and  entire ;  the  coalescing 
and  interpenetration  of  two  hearts — a  love  like  that  of  David 
and  Jonathan.  My  few  years  of  seniority  to  him  made  a  greater 
difference  then  than  in  later  life,  but  they  seemed  rather  to  draw 
us  together  than  to  keep  us  apart.  To  him  I  was  as  an  elder 
brother,  and  watched  over  him  with  a  sort  of  paternal  care. 
His  extraordinary  social  attractiveness,  and  his  keen  relish  for 
social  pleasures  increased,  of  course,  the  moral  dangers  of  a  col- 
lege life  for  one  so  young.  To  have  been,  under  Divine  Provi- 
dence, the  means,  in  however  small  a  degree,  of  saving  so  rich  a 
casket  from  defilement  and  spoliation  in  the  time  of  its  greatest 
exposure  and  peril,  is  not  to  have  lived  in  vain.  What  he  was 
to  me  I  cannot  tell.  My  very  jealousy  for  him  was  a  safeguard 
for  myself ;  and  his  friendship  not  only  was  the  sunshine  of  my 
college  days,  but  has  been  one  of  the  chief  well-springs  of  happi- 
ness for  my  whole  life.  I  had  been  led  to  my  Saviour  just  be- 
fore our  acquaintance  and  friendship  began  ;  and  he  found  tlie 
Lord  just  after  we  parted  upon  my  graduation.  Thus  our  mutual 
love  received  at  length  the  impress  of  its  highest,  its  immortal 
character.  Our  friendship  became  a  sacred,  a  holy  thing— a  tie 
that  can  never  be  severed,  a  feeling  that  can  never  die.  And 
thus  he  had,  henceforth,  a  safeguard  amidst  moral  dangers  bet- 
ter than  any  human  companionship  could  afford.  He  went 
through  college  unscathed  and  unstained,  honored  and  esteemed 
even  by  those  who  could  not  fully  appreciate  the  purity  and 
noble  principles  of  his  manly  character,  but  most  honored  and 
loved  by  those  who  could  sympathize  with  his  brightest  traits. 


420  Henry  Boyntoii  Sinith, 

Notwithstanding  his  almost  omnivorous  reading  and  the  distrac- 
tions incident  to  his  pecuhar  social  temperament,  in  an  unusu- 
ally large  and  able  class  he  stood  facile  princeps. 

"  We  began  our  theological  studies  together  at  Andover,  when 
we  enjoyed  a  brief  period  of  unalloyed  happiness.  But  soon  we 
were  called  in  different  directions.  After  completing  his  theo- 
logical education  in  this  country,  and  widening  and  deepening 
his  acquirements  and  his  culture  by  a  residence  of  two  years  at 
the  German  universities,  he,  on  his  return,  was  called  to  an 
honorable  but  temporary  engagement  at  his  Alma  Mater ;  and, 
had  any  permanent  chair  been  then  open  for  him  he  would 
undoubtedly  have  been  invited  to  fill  it.  The  wisest  and  best 
friends  of  the  college  would  have  made  a  place  for  him  at  all 
hazards  ;  and  if  any  others,  in  view  of  his  youth  and  yet  untried 
powers,  or  for  any  other  reasons,  hesitated  or  opposed,  they  have 
since  seen  good  cause  to  change  their  minds  and  repent  of  their 
shortsightedness. 

"  He  entered  upon  the  pastoral  office  at  "West  Amesbury,  Mass. ; 
and  then  his  head  and  his  heart,  his  tastes  and  his  conscientious 
preferences  were  satisfied  ;  for  he  always  regarded  the  pastoral 
office  as  the  highest  and  holiest  that  man  can  fill.  Here,  loved 
and  honored  by  his  people,  he  spent  a  few  quiet  and  happy  years. 

"But  nature  and  Providence  were  leading  him  to  other  and 
wider  spheres  of  activity  and  usefulness.  It  became  more  and 
more  evident  that  he  was  to  stand  among  the  foremost  thinkers 
and  scholars  of  the  country.     He  must  be  a  teacher  of  teachers. 

"  He  was  called  to  Andover  as  lecturer  ;  and  then  to  Amherst 
as  professor,  where  he  showed  himself  to  be  an  accomplished 
and  philosophical  instructor,  and  gained  the  love  and  deep  re- 
spect and  admiration  of  his  pupils.  From  Amherst  he  came  to 
the  Union  Theological  Seminary — and  you  all  know  the  rest. 

"  Through  all  this  onward  career  my  heart  has  followed  him 
with  more  than  fatherly  or  brotherly  pride  and  satisfaction.  I 
have  rejoiced  in  his  success  here.  Many  of  you  have  been  nearer 
to  him  in  daily  personal  intercourse,  and  in  an  intimate  practi- 
cal interest  in  his  labors  among  you,  than  I  have  been.  But, 
though  standing  at  a  distance,  and  in  the  membership  of  an- 
other branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  I  have  enjoyed,  as  I  feel 
that  none  of  you  could  enjoy,  the  laurels  he  has  won,  the  great 


The  Ftuicral  Services.  421 

work  he  has  accomplished,  and  the  noble  conquests  he  has 
achieved  for  you.  His  name  and  Robinson's  will  stand  together 
on  the  roll  of  your  professors  to  give  undying  lustre  to  the  early 
memories  of  this  Theological  Seminary. 

"And  now  he  has  been  stricken  down  in  the  midst  of  his  un- 
finished work  ;  just  as  he  was  about  to  put  forth  his  last  great 
eifort  in  defense  of  the  bulwarks  of  our  holy  religion.  Never 
shall  I  forget  the  interview  we  had  on  his  last  visit  to  Philadel- 
phia, a  few  months  since  ; — how,  till  late  into  the  night,  we 
talked  over  his  proposed  course  of  lectures  on  the  Ely  founda- 
tion ;  how  he  developed  the  most  systematic  and  thorough,  the 
most  magnificent  and  triumphant  scheme  of  the  Christian  Evi- 
dences,— a  scbeme  meeting  all  the  exigencies  of  the  present 
times,  and  forecasting  the  future ;  a  scheme  which  none  but 
himself  could  frame  or  carry  out ;  and  with  what  breadth  of 
scholarsbip  and  learning,  with  what  philosophic  grasp  and 
clearness,  with  what  fervent  love  for  Christ  and  His  kingdom, 
and  with  what  enthusiasm,  and  vigor,  and  mighty  mastery  he 
unfolded  his  plan  ; — a  plan,  alas,  never  to  be  completed.  And 
not  only  this  do  we  miss,  but  also  his  own  final  reduction  of  his 
whole  system  of  theological  instruction,  which  we  now  have  only 
in  fragments.  But,  as  Ave  survey  the  beauty  and  perfection  of 
the  parts  completed,  and  the  grand  proportions  and  plan  and 
scope  of  the  whole,  we  seem  to  be  gazing  at  some  unfinished 
cathedral,  standing  as  it  was  long  since  left  by  the  architect  and 
workmen,  with  just  enough  completed  to  betray  the  magnificent 
conception  and  the  wondrous  art  of  the  mind  that  contrived  it. 
Had  he  been  spared  to  give  the  Church,  in  a  permanent  form,  the 
results  of  his  labors  in  the  field  of  theology,  even  as  fully  as  he 
did  in  the  department  of  ecclesiastical  history  after  but  a  brief 
occupancy  of  that  chair,  we  should  now  be  vastly  richer  than  we 
are.  It  is  to  be  devoutly  hoped  that  the  materials  he  has  left 
will  require  only  collection  and  arrangement  to  present  the 
structure  in  some  approximation  to  the  majestic  proportions  of 
the  original  plan. 

"And  yet  our  friend  has  finished  his  work  in  beautiful  com- 
pleteness. His  record  is  on  high.  He  has  left  a  bright  example 
of  a  noble  Christian  life.  He  has  done  a  work  for  all  time.  He 
has  exerted  an  influence  which  will  be  propagated  through  the 


42  2  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

generations  to  come.  His  great  work — his  magnum  opus — ^has 
laeen  written,  not  with  pen  and  ink,  but  witli  the  living  voice  ;  not 
impressed  on  insensible  paper,  but  upon  living  minds  and  hearts. 
His  pupils  from  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  are  his  Epis- 
tles to  the  Churches,  epistles  which  will  be  copied  upon  multi- 
tudes on  multitudes  of  other  living  hearts.  He  yet  speaketh  ; 
and  his  influence  shall  spread  only  wider  and  wider  as  years 
roll  on. 

''Before  sitting  down  I  must  be  permitted  to  advert  jjarticu- 
larly  to  one  or  two  special  points,  to  one  or  two  great  events,  in 
connection  with  which  the  Cliurch  owes  to  Dr.  Smith  a  debt  of 
perennial  gratitude,  in  connection  with  Avhich  his  name  must 
never  be  forgotten,  but  emblazoned  highest  and  brightest  on  the 
scroll  of  memory. 

"  I  refer,  first,  to  the  greatest  ecclesiastical  event  which  has 
taken  place  in  this  country  during  the  period  of  his  active  life — 
to  the  happy  reunion  of  the  divided  branches  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Among  the  movers  in  that  great  work  he  was  fore- 
most. He  spoke,  and  wrote,  and  labored  for  its  accomplishment, 
removing  difficulties,  smoothing  obstacles,  answering  oljjections, 
reducing  differences  to  the  lowest  terms — not  dodging  them,  not 
denying  them,  not  explaining  them  away,  not  covering  them  up 
from  present  sight  only  to  break  out  afterward,  but  recognizing 
them  at  their  precise  value  when  reduced  to  their  real  bases ; 
proposing  no  deceitful  compromise,  no  hollow  truce,  no  grudg- 
ing, dishonorable  concessions,  to  be  a  source  of  constant  fretting 
and  irritation  in  the  future  ;  holding  up  the  requirements  of 
Christian  duty,  the  wants  of  the  Church,  the  demands  of  the 
times,  the  ideal  of  Christian  unity,  the  commands  and  the  love 
of  Christ ;  urging  the  immense  domain  of  common  agreement 
contrasted  with  the  miserable  nooks  of  the  petty  points  of  differ- 
ence, and  re-enforcing  with  his  own  magnetic  energy  the  innu- 
merable points  of  attraction,  in  historic  memories  and  in  com- 
mon views,  and  aims,  and  enemies ;  thus  seeking  a  reunion  on 
the  basis  of  a  full  and  honest  mutual  understanding,  and  of  the 
highest  and  holiest  Christian  principles — a  union  which  should 
have  in  it  no  seeds  of  future  dissolution,  a  peace  that  should 
stay.  Would  that  it  might  be  but  a  symbol  and  precursor  of  a 
larger  reunion  of  Protestant  Christendom,  and  even  of  the  whole 


The  Funeral  Services.  423 

Christian  •worlcL  Thus  he  wrought ;  and  I  hnppen  to  know, 
from  daily  personal  intercourse,  how  strong  were  his  personal 
feelings  on  this  subject,  how  his  whole  heart  and  soul  were  in  it, 
during  the  sessions  of  the  General  Assembly  in  Philadelphia,  of 
which  he  Avas  Moderator.  But  just  as  his  work  was  I'eaching  its 
culmination  in  the  consummation  of  success,  he  Avas  stricken 
down  and  compel  led  to  retire  from  the  field.  lie  labored,  and 
other  men  entered  into  his  labors.  He  fought  the  fight,  and 
others  wore  the  garlands  of  victory.  I  desire  to  say  this  the 
more  emphatically,  because  I  conceive  that,  under  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  there  is  a  possibility  that  Dr.  Smith  should 
not  receive  his  full  meed  of  credit,  as  having  done  more  than 
any  other  man  did  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  grand  result 
— the  reunion  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  America.  And  I 
take  the  liberty  to  say  this  as  one  who  has  v/atched  the  progress 
of  the  efforts  toward  the  great  end  from  without,  and  yet  with 
the  most  lively  interest. 

^'  Another  point,  another  great  event  to  which  I  would  refer, 
and  in  which  Dr.  Smith  bore  a  foremost  part,  is  the  meeting  of 
the  Evangelical  Alliance  in  this  city.  Of  the  committee  to 
make  arrangements  for  that  meeting  he  was  chairman;  and  such 
was  his  large  acquaintance  with  Protestant  theologians  and  schol- 
ars abroad,  and  particularly  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  that  he 
was  pre-eminently  fitted  for  that  position.  He  entered  into  a 
multifarious  correspondence,  and  Avas  just  bringing  the  arrange- 
ments to  a  happy  conclusion,  when  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Franco-German  war  compelled  a  postponement.  Before  the  sub- 
sequent arrangements  for  the  meeting  which  actually  took  place 
could  be  completed,  he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  active  work. 
But  his  heart  Avas  in  that  grand  reunion  of  Protestant  Christen- 
dom on  the  shores  of  this  new  world  ;  and  it  Avas  one  of  the  great 
joys  of  his  life  to  witness  its  accomplishment.  Well  do  I  re- 
member Avhat  childlike  satisfaction  he  expressed  Avhen  he  found 
upon  trial  that  he  had  strength  of  utterance  enough  to  pro- 
nounce the  benediction  on  one  occasion  when  I  was  present ;  and 
this  Avas  the  only  part  he  Avas  permitted  publicly  to  take  in  those 
exercises.  Thus,  again,  he  labored  and  other  men  entered  into 
his  labors.     *  Sic  vos  non  vohis.'' 

''Those  two  ideas  and  aims,  the  reuniting  of  the  two  great 


424  Henry  Boynton  Smith. 

branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  this  country,  and  the 
fraternal  gathering  here  of  tlie  representatives  of  Evangelical 
Christendom,  as  a  symbol  and  expression  of  their  real  union  in 
Christ,  were  objects  that  had  a  singular  attraction  for  his  mind 
and  heart,  objects  which  seemed  exactly  fitted  and  proportioned 
to  his  broad,  deep,  loving,  John-like,  Christ-like  spirit.  He 
saw  them  accomplished,  and  for  himself  he  was  satisfied.  And 
now  he  has  departed  in  peace.  In  that  departure,  my  friends, 
not  only  is  the  Union  Seminary  bereaved,  but  all  seminaries  of 
Christian  learning  are  bereaved,  and  theological  science  herself 
is  bereaved ;  not  only  the  Presbyterian  Church,  but  all  Chris- 
tendom is  bereaved." 

*'  The  foregoing  is  the  substance  of  what  I  said  at  Dr.  Smith's 
funeral ;  but,  as  my  remarks  were  not  written  down  at  the  time, 
it  cannot  be  expected  that,  in  all  cases,  the  exact  language 
should  be  i^eproduced. 

"I  venture  here  to  add  a  brief  estimate  of  Dr.  Smith's  char- 
acter, in  what  have  struck  me  a"s  some  of  its  salient  points. 

"Gifted  by  nature  to  an  extraordinary  degree  with  generous 
and  noble  endowments.  Dr.  Smith  owed  much  to  a  happily- 
guided  and  guarded  education,  to  that  wise,  beautiful,  early 
training  which  gave  the  keynote  to  his  life,  and  to  that  large 
and  liberal  culture  which  he  subsequently  received  at  home  and 
abroad ; — a  culture  which  found  in  his  mind  a  congenial  soil, 
and  which,  except  as  it  was  appropriated  and  assimilated  by  the 
reaction  of  his  own  I'ight  instinct, -sound  judgment,  and  strong 
intelligence,  would  have  been  to  little  purpose.  But,  happily, 
on  the  other  hand,  he  did  not  rely  upon  the  great  brilliancy, 
reach,  or  strength  of  his  own  intelligence,  but  he  was  from  youth, 
and  more  and  more,  a  thorough,  patient,  diligent  and  devout 
student.  He  w^as  systematically  a  student.  In  this  he  was  a 
model  for  his  countrymen.  He  was  one  of  those  few  to  whom  is 
given  the  power  to  become  scholars  ;  and  he  had  the  spirit,  the 
habits,  and  the  attainments  of  a  scholar,  to  such  an  extent  as 
few,  at  least  among  us  Americans,  have  ever  possessed  them. 

"Geniality  and  spirituality  were  his  leading  mental  characteris- 
tics. He  had  uncommon  quickness  of  perception  and  keenness 
of  insight.     He  united,  in  a  singular  degree,  depth  and  breadth 


The  Funeral  Services.  425 

of  mind  with  acuteness  and  clearness  of  apprehension.  He  had 
an  overmastering  love  of  the  ideal  and  an  absorbing  interest  in 
the  practical ;  but  he  never  became  so  lost  in  the  one  as  to  for- 
get the  other.  He  brought  and  kept  them  both  together  ;  and 
this  was  one  of  his  distinguishing  traits.  He  held  the  profound- 
est  principles  in  their  living  connection  with  their  minutest  every- 
day applications.  And  thus  he  possessed  a  very  high  organizing 
and  constructive  power. 

"  He  loved  truth  more  than  he  hated  error.  His  system  of 
thought  was  not  a  definite,  completed,  well-rounded  sphere,  self- 
poised,  standing  out  in  high  relief,  with  an  exact  and  clear-cut 
outline  and  polished  surface  ;  but  rather  a  living  organism,  rich 
and  varied  in  its  full  development,  with  boughs  and  foliage 
waving  at  large  in  the  breezes  of  heaven,  instead  of  being 
cropped  and  trimmed  into  some  stiff,  artificial  shape  by  the 
gardener's  hand,  and  stretching  its  roots  down  into  unexplored 
dej)ths,  taking  hold  upon  and  nourished  from  the  infinite.  His 
genial  mind  had  received  too  liberal  a  culture  to  allow  him,  with 
some  strong-headed,  self-taught  and  self-made  men,  to  suppose 
either  that  what  he  saw  clearly  for  the  first  time  had  never  been 
clearly  seen  before,  or  that  beyond  what  he  could  clearly  grasp 
and  see  there  was  nothing  worth  looking  for.  He  especially  en- 
joyed tracing  things  to  their  deepest  foundations.  He  took  a 
peculiar  pleasure  in  exploring  that  border  land  in  which  the 
known  passes  into  the  unknown,  and  where,  if  anywhere,  the 
boundaries  of  our  knowledge  must  be  enlarged.  Hence,  espec- 
ially in  his  earlier  essays,  he  was  not  always  easily  understood. 

"In  discussion  or  controversy  he  was  ever  candid  and  kindly. 
He  could  see  and  heartily  appreciate  the  measure  of  truth  which 
belonged  to  antagonistic  views,  evBn  to  those  from  which  he 
most  widely  differed.  He  had  the  not  very  common  faculty  of 
distinguishing  principles  from  petty  details.  In  regard  to  the 
former  his  contention  was  earnest  ;  but,  of  the  odium  theologi- 
ctwi  he  never  had  one  drop. 

"  Dr.  Smith  possessed  a  great  power  of  abstraction  and  concen- 
tration, yet  free  from  anything  like  abstractedness  or  absent- 
mindedness.  His  mind  was  always  buoyant,  agile,  light,  and 
free,  so  that,  from  the  most  profound  study,  it  would  rebound 
instantaneously  and  pass  with  perfect  ease  to  any  other  matter, 


426  Henry  Boynto7i  Smith. 

or  thought,  or  amusement.  This,  too,  was  one  of  his  remark- 
able characteristics.  He  had  a  vein  of  sly,  deep  humor,  of  keen, 
sprightly  wit,  which  seemed  to  be  always  at  hand,  ready  to  burst 
forth  from  the  midst  of  the  dullest  and  driest  discussions,  or  of 
the  soberest  moods,  in  sudden  scintillations,  in  a  merry  laugh, 
or,  more  frequently,  in  quiet,  comic  allusions.  Through  all  his 
deep  philosophy  and  theologic  lore,  he  brought  down  from  his 
boyhood  a  gay,  social,  sympathetic  temperament. 

"  He  was  a  man  of  deep  and  strong  sensibilities.  He  had  a  keen 
sense  of  the  beautiful  in  nature  and  in  art ;  and  an  extraordi- 
nary power  of  luminous  and  striking  description.  For  his  qual- 
ities of  heart  he  was  distinguished  even  more  than  for  those  of 
intellect.  Great  as  was  his  mind  his  soul  was  greater.  To  him 
persons  were  more  than  ideas,  feeling  more  than  thought.  Xo 
one  knew  him  who  had  not  penetrated  beyond  the  porch  of  his 
philosophic  speculations  and  intellectual  activities.  It  was  his 
delicacy  and  tenderness  of  feeling,  his  warm,  deep,  clinging, 
earnest,  intense  personal  affection  that  made  him  what  he  was. 
Truth  was  his  atmosphere,  but  love  was  his  life.  But  on  this  I 
can  venture  no  more. 

"  Dr.  Smith  was  eminently  a  practical  man.  He  was  not  one  of 
those  philosophers,  who,  in  their  ethereal  speculations,  are  quite 
above  all  regard  for  passing  sublunary  things.  He  was  not  one 
of  those  astronomers  who  fall  into  ditches.  He  took  a  wide,  a 
genial,  and  a  generous  interest  in  passing  things  and  events,  in 
all  that  was  going  on  in  the  Church  and  in  the  world.  His  was 
the  motto:  'Homo  sum,  humani  nihil  a  me  alienum  puto.^ 
He  kept  himself  abreast  with  all  the  movements  of  the  times  at 
home  and  abroad.  He  not  only  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  phe- 
nomena presented  in  the  history  of  his  own  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  earnestly  labored  for  its  growth  and  union;  but  he  watched 
with  a  scrutinizing  eye  the  modern  movements  in  the  Anglican 
Church,  and  the  Ultramontane  movement  in  the  Eomish  Church, 
culminating  in  the  Vatican  Council.  Witness  his  article  in  his 
Revieiu  upon  the  New  Latitudinarians  in  the  Englisli  Church, 
an  article  which,  for  intelligence,  candor,  and  impartial  criti- 
cism, has  not  been  surpassed,  if  equaled,  by  any  other  on  that 
subject,  even  from  within  the  English  Church  itself.  Witness, 
also,  the  masterly  and  exhaustive  book  notices  which  enriched. 


The  Funeral  Services.  427 

and  uniquely  enriched,  each  number  of  his  Review,  and  which 
covered  almost  the  whole  domain  of  universal  current  literature 
especially  in  the  sphere  of  philosophy  and  theology. 

*'  During  the  late  rebellion  he  was,  of  course,  thoroughly  and 
sternly  loyal,  though  he  loved  the  right  more  than  he  hated  the 
wrong.  He  used  to  keep  himself  almost  as  minutely  acquainted 
with  all  the  movements  and  positions  of  either  side,  both  politi- 
cal and  military,  as  were  the  authorities  at  Washington.  He 
was  an  ardent  patriot.  But  not  only  that;  he  took  an  absorbing 
interest,  also,  in  the  late  movements  abroad,  whether  in  Italy, 
or  Turkey,  or  Germany,  or  France,  which  have  reconstructed 
nationalities  and  empires. 

"  His  moral  convictions  were  clear,  and  his  moral  Judgments 
dooided  and  firm  ;  but  he  was  entirely  free  from  fanatical  ex- 
travagances, and  from  the  narrow  and  impatient  judgments  of  a 
reckless  absolutism.  He  was  considerate,  many-sided,  compre- 
hensive. Such  was  the  basis  of  his  ])ractical  and  moral  char- 
acter. 

"The  religious  character  of  Dr.  Smith  is  summed  up  in  one 
word,  "  Christ."  The  leading  element  of  his  mind  was  en- 
stamped  upon  his  religion — absorption  not  in  ideas,  but  in  per- 
sonal relations.  His  religion  was  personal  love  and  devotion  to 
Jesus  Christ.  To  him  Christ  was  all  and  in  all.  While  he 
lived  he  loved,  and  he  ceased  not,  to  teach  and  i)reach  Jesus 
Christ.     And  now  he  is  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better." 

His  burial  place  is  at  Nortliamx^ton,  Mass.,  in  the  old 
cemetery,  sacred  by  many  memories.  The  dark  stone, 
brought  from  his  native  State,  bears  the  inscription, 
chosen  by  himself  for  his  brother's  monument:  ''Ix 
Pace  Domini;"  and,  beneath,  are  the  words  which 
were  the  text  of  his  first  sermon,  and  whose  blessed  im- 
port was  the  inspiration  of  his  life : 

*'  In  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  Wisdom  and 
Righteousness  and  Sanctification  and  Redemption." 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX,  A. 

MiifORiTY  Report  ok  the  Validity  of  Roman  Catholic 
Baptism. — 1854. 

To  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  convened 
at  Philadelphia,  May,  1854. 

The  undersigned  was  appointed  by  the  last  General  Assembly 
a  member  of  a  committee  to  report  upon  the  question  of  the 
validity  of  baptism  as  administered  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  This  committee  has  not  been  called  together  during 
the  year,  and  it  was  only  a  week  ago  that  the  report  of  the  ma- 
jority was  presented  to  the  undersigned  for  consideration.  It  is 
his  conviction  that  the  committee  were  not  prepared  to  make  an 
adequate  report.  Being  unable  to  agree  with  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  majority,  he  begs  leave  to  offer  some  reasons  against 
their  views,  and  in  support  of  the  position  that  it  is  inexpedient  for 
the  Assembly  to  decide  that  baptism  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
is  necessarily  invalid.  Tlie  Assembly's  Committee  on  Church 
Polity  last  year  recommended  that  ''each  pastor  and  session 
should  be  left,  as  heretofore,  to  decide  upon  the  cases  as  they 
might  come  before  them." 

The  report  of  the  majority  seems  to  take  for  granted  that  bap- 
tism in  the  papal  church  is  necessarily  papal  baptism.*     But 

*  Cf,  Calvin  Inst.  Lib.  IV.,  Cap.  xv.  16.  Tales  hodie  sunt  Catabaptistae 
nostri,  qui  rite  nos  baptizatos  pcmegant,  quod  ab  impiis  et  idolatris  in  regno 
papali  baptizati  sumus  ;   itaque  anabaptismum  furiose  urgent.     Adversus 

429 


430  Appendix. 

strictly  speaking,  there  is  no  more  a  papal  baptism  than  there  is 
a  i^apal  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  simple  question  is  whether 
baptism  may  not  be  \ralid  although  administered  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church. 

1.  A  presumptive  argument  for  the  affirmative  may  be  de- 
rived from  the  almost  unanimous  consent  of  the  Eeformed 
Churches  and  theologians.  The  French,  Dutch,  German,  and 
English  Churches,  thes^reat  reformers — divines  like  Calvin,  Tur- 
retine,  and  Hooker — admit  the  validity  of  such  baptisms,  while 
contending  against  the  corruptions  of  the  papacy.  Only  the 
Anabaptists,  and  they  in  part  on  other  grounds,  in  the  century  of 
the  Eeformation  advocated  the  contrary  opinion.  Witli  the  ex- 
ception of  the  other  branch  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States,*  no  considerable  Protestant  body  has  taken  the 
position  advocated  by  the  majority  of  your  committee.  Only  the 
strongest  reasons,  it  would  seem,  could  authorize  the  assembly  to 
decide  against  such  a  consent  of  testimony,  and  in  favor  of  such 
an  ecclesiastical  novelty. 

2.  The  report  of  the  majority  does  not  seem  to  recognize  the 
common  position  that  baptism,  like  marriage,  may  be  valid,  even 
when  irregular.  Even  those  churches  which  insist  most  stren- 
uously upon  sacramental  grace,  allow  the  validity  of  lay  baptism 
in  certain  cases.  Baptism  is  esteemed  valid  when  administered 
as  to  form,  matter,  and  intent  in  accordance  with  its  original 
institution.  In  the  Eoman  Catholic  communion,  it  is  admin- 
istered with  water,  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  and  as  a  sign  and 
seal  of  grace.  Superstitions  additions  to  the  ordinance,  while 
they  impair  its  regularity,  need  not  annul  its  validity. 

3.  The  same  report  further  claims,  that  the  ('onfession  of 
Faith  is  conclusive  against  such  validity,  since  it  asserts  (27,  4) 
that  baptism  can  only  be  dispensed  by  "a  minister  of  the  Word 
lawfully  ordained."    Without  now  remarking  upon  the  question 

quorum  ineptias  satis  valida  ratione  muniemur,  si  cogitemus  nos  Baptismo 
initiates,  non  in  nomen  alicujus  hominis,  sed  in  nomen  Patris  et  Filii  et 
Spiritus  Sanoti,  ideoque  baptismum  non  esse  hominis  sed  Dei  ;  a  quocunque 
tamen  administratus  fuerit, 
*  Cf.  The  article  against  this  decision  in  the  Princeton  Jteperiory. 


Appendix.  ^3 1 

whether  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  may  not  be  jnst  snch  a  min- 
ister, which  is  not  necessary  to  the  argument,  we  find  no  evi- 
dence adduced  to  show  that  this  was  intended  to  exclude  irregular 
or  lay  baptisms,  in  cases  of  necessity  generally  allowed.  Nor  is 
it  at  all  probable  that  this  clause  was  intended  to  have  a  bearing 
on  the  question  in  discussion,  since  the  authors  of  tlie  Confession 
may  be  presumed  to  have  held  the  common  Protestant  position 
of  their  times. 

4.  Nor  when  the  same  report,  whose  argument  is  almost  ex- 
clusively based  upon  the  Confession  of  Faith,  asserts  that  this 
teaches  (35,  5,  6),  that  the  Church  of  Rome  is  a  "  synagogue  of 
Satan,"  and  that  the  pope  is  *'  the  Anti-christ,"  docs  it  seem  to 
come  any  nearer  to  a  decision  of  the  question.  No  Protestant 
ever  contended  for  the  validity  of  this  baptism  on  the  ground 
that  it  is  of  papal  institution,  which  it  is  not ;  nor  on  the  ground 
that  the  priests  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  receive  all  their 
authority  to  administer  it  from  the  pope,  which  they  do  not. 
We  allow  the  validity  of  the  ministry  and  its  ordinances  in  other 
Episcopal  bodies,  while  denying  the  theory  of  apostolical  succes- 
sion. Even  in  a  corrupt  church  an  ordinance  may  be  adminis- 
tered according  to  the  institution  of  Christ  and  the  apostles. 

In  its  papal  usurpations  and  sacramental  system,  the  Church 
of  Rome  has,  doubtless,  become  anti-christian  ;  the  papacy  is  one 
form  of  Anti-christ,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  Christian  men  to  sepa- 
rate themselves  from  such  an  apostate  body.  So  thought  and 
acted  the  Reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century.  But  we  ought, 
at  least,  to  pause  before  coming  to  a  decision,  which  necessitates 
the  inference  that  the  Reformers  were  and  remained  unbaptized 
persons,  and  that  the  Protestant  churches  of  the  Reformation 
were  made  up  of  unbaptized  persons.  The  validity  of  a  Christian 
rite,  administered  by  a  Fenelon,  can  hardly  be  doubted  in  con- 
sistency with  Christian  charity. 

5.  To  establish,  then,  the  possible  validity  of  such  baptism, 
we  do  not  even  need  to  claim  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
is  a  true  church,  or  its  mmisters  lawful  ministers.  So  far  as 
this  church  and  its  ministry  are  papal,  so  far  they  are  corrupted 
and  apostate.     But,  on  the  Protestant  view  of  what  is  essential 


432  Appendix. 

to  the  being  of  a  church,  we  cannot  deny  to  the  Eoman  Catholic 
communion  the  name  of  a  church,  despite  its  manifold  corrup- 
tions. Even  a  ministry  is  not  essential  to  the  being  of  a  church, 
even  in  a  corrupt  church  there  may  be  a  lawful  ministry.  Israel, 
doubtless,  remained  a  church,  even  when  apostate.  And  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  in  its  public  confessions,  retains  Chris- 
tian truths  on  fundamental  Christian  doctrines,  as  the  Trinity, 
and  the  necessity  of  grace,  though  intermingled  and  overlaid 
with  fatal  errors.  But  take  away  the  errors  superinduced  by  the 
papal  and  sacramental  systems,  and  there  still  remains  in  its 
creeds  and  ordinances  whatever  is  essential  to  the  Christian  faith 
or  to  the  due  administration  of  Christian  rites.  Therefore  it  is 
still  a  church,  and  its  ministry  lawful,  despite  its  apostasy,  and 
the  sacrament  of  baptism  when  administered  therein,  according 
to  its  institution,  may  be  held  to  be  valid. 

If  we  deny  to  this  communion  the  name  of  a  Christian  Church 
on  account  of  its  corruptions,  we  should  be  compelled,  in  con- 
sistency, to  go  still  further,  and  deny  the  validity  of  the  baptism 
of  the  Greek,  the  Armenian,  and  other  corrupt  churches,  con- 
trary to  the  convictions  and  practice  of  all  our  missionaries  in  the 
East,  whose  work  would  thus  be  seriously  hindered. 

And  may  it  not,  in  conclusion,  be  asked  whether  it  is  wise  for 
us  in  this  land,  in  our  relations  to  Roman  Catholics,  to  press  so 
serious  and  doubtful  a  question  to  a  decision,  which  will  only 
alienate  them  yet  more  from  ourselves  ?  Our  policy  is  to  win 
and  not  to  repel  them.  Only  by  the  truth  and  power  of  the 
Spirit  can  they  be  won.  Shall  we,  then,  show  ourselves  more 
pertinacious  about  some  special  administration  of  a  rite  than  is 
Rome  itself  ?  If  even  the  papacy  can  allow  the  validity  of  lay 
baptism,  why  may  we  not  allow  that  baptism,  although  admin- 
istered in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  may  still  be  valid  ? 

All  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

Hekey  B.  Smith. 

Union  Theological  Seminaet, 
May  16,  1854. 


Appendix,  433 


APPENDIX,  B. 

The  following  action  of  the  fourth  Presbytery  of  New  York 
was  taken  April  20th,  1857  : 

Resolved,  that  we  record  as  our  judgment  on  this  subject — 
[slavery]  : 

(1).  That,  in  the  difficult  and  responsible  position  in  which 
our  branch  of  the  Church  is  placed  by  divine  Providence,  in 
regard  to  the  subject  of  slavery,  we  need  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of 
brotherly  love  and  forbearance,  and  to  invoke  earnestly  the  guid- 
ance of  that  wisdom  from  above,  which  is  "  first  pure,  then 
peaceable,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits." 

Resolved  (3),  That,  as  a  Presbytery,  we  protest  against  that 
interpretation  of  the  action  of  the  last  General  Assembly,  held 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  which  represents  it  as  receding  from 
the  anti-slavery  position  and  testimony  of  our  Church. 

Resolved  (3),  That,  though  in  unavoidable  circumstances,  the 
external  relation  of  slave-holding  may  exist,  without  involving 
the  master  in  the  sin  and  guilt  of  the  system  of  slavery,  yet,  that 
a  continuance  of  the  relation  can  be  justified  only  so  far  as  the 
slave-holder  also  uses  all  just  and  Christian  means  for  removing 
the  evil  from  both  Church  and  State. 

Resolved  (4),  That  the  system  of  slavery  is  neither  to  be 
viewed  as  an  institution  of  natural  or  revealed  religion  ;  nor  is 
it  kindred  to  civil  government,  nor  to  the  relation  of  husband 
and  wife,  nor  to  that  of  parents  and  children  ;  nor  yet  is  it 
merely  a  legal  claim  or  right  to  service ;  but  that,  on  the  con- 
trary, the  system  of  slavery,  so  far  as  it  gives  to  man  the  right 
of  property  in  man,  reducing  the  sl^ve  and  his  progeny  to  the 
condition  of  chattels,  dependent  on  the  will  of  the  owner  ;  so  far 
as  it  annuls  the  rights  of  marriage  ;  so  far  as  it  forbids  the  gen- 
eral and  Christian  education  of  the  slave,  and  debars  him  from 
the  reading  of  the  Word  of  God— is  a  system  which  is  essentially 
opposed  to  the  rights  of  man,  to  the  welfare  of  the  Republic,  to 


434  Appendix. 

the  clear  position  of  our  Church,  and  to  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion. 


APPENDIX,  C. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the 
United  States  of  America  (N.  S. ),  in  session  at  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  May  twen- 
ty-eighth, 1866,  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  greeting  : 

Deae  Brethken  :  The  most  welcome  letter  of  your  venerable 
Assembly,  bearing  date,  Edinburgh,  May  thirtieth,  1865,  and 
subscribed  by  your  Moderator,  the  Eev.  James  Begg,  D.D.,  has 
been  received  by  our  Assembly,  with  heartfelt  gratitude  and 
approval.  We  warmly  reciprocate  your  affectionate  Christian 
salutations,  and  respond  with  lively  emotions  to  your  expressions 
of  sympathy  and  confidence,  and  to  your  proposals  for  a  closer 
fellowship.  Though  separated  by  the  broad  ocean,  we  are  bound 
together  by  no  ordinary  ties.  No  church  of  another  land  has  a 
stronger  hold  than  yours  upon  our  love  and  honor.  The  one 
Eeformed  faith  is  our  common  heritage.  We  express  that  faith 
in  the  same  symbols  ;  we  have  in  essence  the  same  Presbyterian 
polity  ;  and  we  are  equally  engaged  in  kindred  evangelical  labors 
at  home  and  abroad.  There  are  also  between  us  many  ties  of  a 
common  ancestry.  And  we  venerate  the  names  of  your  early 
Eeformers  ;  our  ministry  are  still  instructed  by  the  writings  of 
your  great  divines,  our  faith  is  strengthened  by  the  bright  exam- 
ple of  your  heroic  martyrs,  who  fought  a  good  fight  for  religious 
and  civil  liberty  ;  and  in  your  especial  conflicts  and  sacrifices  for 
a  Free  Church  you  have  had,  these  twenty  years,  our  constant 
and  warmest  sympathy.  We  honor  the  high  wisdom  and  extra- 
ordinary liberality  which  have  made  you  prosperous  and  strong, 
and  the  new  testimony  you  have  given  to  the  self-sustaining 
power  of  the  Christian  Church,  when  contending  for  its  right- 
eous liberties.  It  is  a  good  thing  that  the  sacred  fire  kindled  by 
the  old  covenanters  is  still  burning  in  the  heart  of  Scotland,  and 
that  their  flaming  torches  have  been  handed  down  from  sire  to 


Appendix.  435 

son.  In  all  these  things,  dear  brethren,  we  do  rejoice,  yea,  and 
will  rejoice. 

It  is,  then,  with  no  ordinary  satisfaction  that  we  have  received 
your  proposal  for  an  interchange  of  "  accredited  deputies "  be- 
tween our  churches,  as  occasion  may  serve.  As  you  will  see 
by  an  accompanying  minute,  this  Assembly  has  unanimously 
resolved  to  appoint  two  such  deputies  to  represent  us  before 
your  venerable  body,  in  May,  18G7.  They  will  in  due  time  be 
named  and  commissioned,  and  we  bespeak  for  them  a  fraternal 
welcome.  We  also  invite  you  to  send  deputies  to  the  General 
Assembly  of  our  own  church  at  its  next  session  in  the  city  of 
Kochester,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  May,  1867,  assuring  them 
a  most  cordial  reception. 

We  have  this  year  been  favored  with  an  address,  made  in  your 
behalf,  by  the  Rev.  James  McCosh,  LL.D.,  of  Belfast,  Ireland, 
who  came  to  us  with  ample  testimonials  from  several  of  the  hon- 
ored ministers  of  your  Church.  Already  known  to  us  by  his 
elaborate  and  thoughtful  works,  so  important  in  relation  to 
the  great  conflict  between  Christianity  and  some  forms  of  mod- 
ern infidelity,  he  hardly  needed  any  external  recommendation  to 
insure  him  an  attentive  hearing.  His  eloquent  and  sympathetic 
words  have  drawn  us  to  you  by  the  cords  of  a  common  faith  and 
love. 

The  sympathy  yoti  express  in  the  calamities  and  sufferings 
brought  Upon  us  by  our  recent  war,  in  the  assassination  of  our 
beloved  and  venerated  President  Lincoln — a  martyr  to  the  cause 
of  human  freedom — and  your  fervent  congratulations  upon  the 
abolition  of  slavery  throughout  our  States,  as  well  as  your  wise 
suggestions,  derived,  in  part,  from  your  British  experience,  in 
respect  to  the  future  condition  of  the  negro  race,  call  for  our 
grateful  recognition.  These  things  have  weighed,  and  still 
weigh,  upon  the  mind  and  conscience  of  this  nation.  God  has 
guided  us  by  His  wonder-working  Providence,  bringing  good  out 
of  evil.  He  has  sorely  chastised  us  for  our  national  sins,  and 
we  Jbow  in  penitence,  yet  in  trust,  beneath  His  mighty  hand. 
He  has  indeed  caused  the  wrath  of  man  to  promote  His  own  high 
purposes  of  grace  and  wisdom.  And  in  the  difficulties  and  per- 
plexities that  still  beset  our  path,  in  the  vast  social  and  political, 
as  well  as  religious,  problems  that  we  are  called  to  solve,  we 


436  Appendix. 

humbly  invoke  and  rely  upon  His  wisdom  and  grace.  Here  too, 
we  feel  assured  that  your  prayer  will  mingle  with  ours. 

You  say  that  "the  divergence  of  sentiment  and  action  for- 
merly existing  between  us  "  on  the  question  of  slavery  "  has  now 
ceased,"  and  "as  there  is  really  nothing  now  to  prevent  a  com- 
plete and  cordial  understanding  between  the  British  and  the 
American  Churches,  we  take  the  earliest  possible  opportunity  of 
giving  utterance  to  this  conviction  and  desire  of  our  hearts." 
We  thank  you  for  these  words  ;  we  unite  with  you  in  the  peti- 
tion for  the  removal  of  all  estrangements,  and  the  establishment 
not  only  of  our  old,  but  even  of  a  better  and  nearer  fellowship. 
And  because  of  this  one  common  wish  and  purpose,  we  are  em- 
boldened to  say  to  you,  with  the  utmost  Christian  frankness  as 
well  as  affection,  that  during  the  progress  of  our  recent  and  ter- 
rible struggle  for  the  very  life  of  our  nation,  involving,  as  it  did, 
by  a  vital  necessity  the  emancipation  of  our  slaves,  we  have  at 
times  been  deeply  pained  and  grieved  by  the  apparent  indiffer- 
ence of  the  British  churches  to  the  great  principles  and  the  man- 
ifest moral  issues  that  were  here  at  stake.  From  the  beginning 
of  the  great  rebellion,  our  American  churches,  as  with  one  voice, 
proclaimed  the  real  nature  of  the  contest.  Our  own  Assembly 
never  faltered  or  wavered  in  the  declarations,  that  it  was  essen- 
tially a  conflict  between  freedom  and  slavery,  and  that  national 
unity  was  necessary  to  national  freedom.  And  we  shall  ever- 
more regret  that,  in  our  darkest  days,  when  we  were  in  travail 
in  the  throes  of  a  new  birth,  and  when  sympathy  would  most 
have  cheered  our  hearts,  we  had,  with  few  exceptions,  such  slight 
encouragement  from  those  so  nearly  allied  to  us  in  faith,  and  in 
the  fundamental  principles  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  But 
these  dark  hours  are  past,  nevermore,  we  trust,  to  return  ;  and  we 
are  glad  that  the  clouds  are  dispersing,  and  the  mists  vanishing 
away,  and  that  we  are  coming  to  see  eye  to  eye,  and  to  know 
better  each  other's  heart  and  mind. 

You  allude  to  the  interest  with  which  you  "  shall  watch  the 
future  history  of  the  negro  race  within  our  borders."  The  views 
of  this  Assembly  on  some  of  the  points  hereir  involved  are  set 
forth  in  a  Declaration,  just  adopted,  on  the  State  of  the  Country, 
a  copy  of  which  will  be  sent  to  you.  The  freedom  of  that  un- 
happy and  long-suffering  race  has  been  bought  at  a  great  price 


Appendix.  437 

of  blood  and  treasure.  Slavery  is  now  prohibited  by  an  amend- 
ment to  tlie  Constitution.  The  civil  rights  of  the  freedmen  have 
been  secured  by  law.  Other  guarantees  will  doubtless  follow  in 
due  time.  This  nation  is  under  the  most  solemn  responsibility 
as  to  the  future  destiny  of  this  class  of  its  citizens.  Meanwhile, 
our  chief  reliance  must  be  on  those  social,  moral,  and  religious 
influences  which  alone  can  make  men  fit  for  freedom  and  truly 
free  ;  and  which  alone  can  fully  restore  the  union  of  these  States, 
and  bind  us  together  in  a  common  brotherhood. 

In  these  troubled  times,  even  when  the  horrors  of  war  were 
upon  us,  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  has  given  us  fresh  occa- 
sion to  magnify  His  faithfulness.  Our  American  churches,  no 
less  than  our  Eepublic,  have  emerged  from  this  conflict  still 
strong  in  their  faith  and  order.  The  jirinciples  of  our  American 
Christianity  have  received  a  new  vindication.  Our  benevolent 
contributions  Iiave  been  constantly  increasing.  And  we  are  now 
girding  ourselves  for  the  great  task  that  is  laid  upon  us,  espe- 
cially in  our  Southern  and  Western  States,  among  our  freedmen 
and  our  immigrant  population,  and  against  the  progress  of  Eo- 
manism,  of  materialism,  and  of  a  false  rationalism,  in  humble 
reliance,  as  we  trust,  upon  the  grace  and  wisdom  of  Him,  who 
will  not  leave  us  if  we  lean  upon  His  mighty  arm,  and  follow  the 
guidance  of  His  all-wise  Providence.  An  increased  desire  for 
Christian  union,  too,  has  been  kindled  throughout  our  land. 
Many  of  our  churches  also  have  been  visited  with  fresh  outpour- 
ings of  the  Spirit  of  grace,  showing  that  the  Lord  is  at  work 
amongst  us  as  of  old. 

We,  too,  desire  Avith  you,  in  a  special  manner,  a  closer  fellow- 
ship between  the  Presbyterian  Churches  in  our  own  and  other 
lands.  W^e  are  glad  to  see  the  movements  in  this  direction  in 
England  and  Scotland  and  in  your  colonial  dependencies.  The 
same  spirit  is  at  work  among  ourselves.  The  two  great  branches 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  this  country  are  drawing  nearer  to- 
gether ;  this  year  they  have  touched  each  other ;  and  each  of 
our  Assemblies  has  appointed  a  committee  of  conference  on  re- 
union. Our  deputies  will  inform  you  of  the  progress  of  this 
desirable  object.  And  we  fervently  hope  that  here,  as  never  be- 
fore, all  Christian  churches  may  forget  their  lesser  differences  and 
unite  together,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  great  work  of  the  Lord. 


43  8  Appendix. 

Dear  brethren,  beloved  in  the  Lord,  we  send  to  you  these  our 
Christian  salutations,  beseeching  you  to  pray  for  us.  We  com- 
mend you  unto  God,  and  to  the  word  of-  His  grace.  May  the 
one  great  Head  of  the  church  bless  you  with  all  spiritual  bless- 
ings !  May  our  churches  and  our  lands  live  in  amity  and  unity  ! 
May  we  all  live  for  the  glory  of  God  in  the  kingdom  of  His  Son 
our  Lord,  to  whom  be  praise  evermore.     Amen. 


APPENDIX,  D. 

Eepoet  feom  the  Committee  (m  the  Polity,  at  the  Gest- 
EEAL  Assembly  at  St.  Louis,  May,  1866. 

These  overtures,  Nos.  5  to  15,  were  from  the  Presbyteries  of 
New  York  3d  and  4th,  Dubuque,  Greencastle,  Athens,  Steuben, 
Alton,  Monroe,  Keokuk,  Long  Island,  and  Trumbull.  All 
these  Presljyteries,  with  different  degrees  of  urgency,  recom- 
mend to  this  Assembly  to  initiate  or  respond  to  proposals  look- 
ing to  an  entire  reunion  of  the  churches  represented  by  the  two 
General  Assemblies  now  in  session  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

The  General  Assembly  now  in  session  in  the  Second  Presbyte- 
rian Church  of  this  city,  have  also  adopted  resolutions  appoint- 
ing a  committee  to  confer  with  a  similar  committee  of  our  own 
church  in  regard  to  the  desirableness  and  practicability  of  such 
a  reunion. 

Your  Committee  recommend  to  this  Assembly  the  adoption  of 
the  following  resolutions  : 

Resolved,  That  this  Assembly  tender  to  the  Assembly  repre- 
senting the  other  branch  of  the  Presl^yterian  Church,  its  cordial 
Christian  salutations  and  fellowship,  and  the  expression  of  its 
earnest  wish  for  a  reunion  on  the  basis  of  our  common  standards, 
received  in  a  common  spirit. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  fifteen,  nine  of  whom  shall  be 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  six  elders,  be  appointed  to  confer 
on  this  subject,  in  the  recess  of  the  Assembly,  with  the  com- 
mittee to  be  appointed  by  the  other  General  Assembly,  and  to 
report  the  result  at  our  next  General  Assembly. 


Appendix,  439 

Resolved,  That  we  enjoin  iipon  tliis  committee,  and  upon  all 
our  ministers  and  church  members,  to  abstain  from  whatever 
may  hinder  a  true  Christian  fellowship,  to  cherish  and  cultivate 
those  feelings  and  purposes  which  look  to  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity of  Zion,  the  edification  of  the  body  of  Christ,  and  the 
complete  union  of  all  believers,  especially  of  those  living  in  the 
same  land,  having  the  same  history,  and  the  same  standards  of 
doctrine  and  polity. 

Resolved.  That  a  copy  of  these  resolution^!,  with  the  names  of 
our  committee,  be  sent  to  the  other  General  Assembly  now  in 
session  in  this  city. 

The  Eeport  of  the  Committee  was  unanimously  adopted  amid 
applause  and  demonstrations  of  great  satisfaction. 


APPENDIX,  E. 


Eepokt  0^   THE  State  of  the  Country,  at  the  General 
Assembly  at  St. -Louis,  May,  18G6. 

This  Assembly  records  its  devout  gratitude  to  Almighty  God, 
that  He  has  delivered  us  from  the  calamities  and  horrors  of  civil 
war,  and  restored  peace  throughout  our  borders  ; 

That  He  has  so  far  quelled  the  spirit  of  secession  that  the  su- 
preme and  rightful  authority  of  our  beneficent  National  Govern- 
ment is  now  restored  in  all  our  States  and  Territories,  and  we 
remain,  as  we  were  intended  to  be,  one  Nation,  with  one  Consti- 
tution, and  one  destiny  ; 

That  He  has  so  overruled  the  progress  and  results  of  this  un- 
paralleled conflict  as  to  make  it  manifest  that  our  republican  in- 
stitutions are  as  well  fitted  to  bear  the  stress  and  shock  of  war, 
as  to  give  prosperity  and  increase  in  times  of  peace  ; 

That,  by  his  wise  and  restraining  Providence,  guiding  us  in 
ways  we  knew  not,  He  has  caused  the  passions  and  wrath  of  man 
to  inure  to  the  welfare  of  humanity,  so  that  a  Avhole  race  has 
been  emancipated  from  an  unjust  and  cruel  system  of  bondage, 
and  advanced  to  the  rights  and  dignity  of  freemen  ;  so  that  now 


440  Appendix. 

involuntary  servitude,  except  for  crime,  is  illegal  and  unconstitu- 
tional wherever  our  national  authority  extends  ; 

That  He  gave  to  our  people  such  a  spontaneous,  impassioned, 
and  unbought  loyalty — a  loyalty  that  can  neither  be  forced  nor 
feigned — such  resolute  and  abiding  faith,  and  such  a  supreme 
consciousness  of  our  national  unity,  that  we  were  able  in  the 
darkest  hours  to  bear  with  cheerful  patriotism  our  heavy  bur- 
dens and  our  costly  sacrifices,  so  that  our  very  sacrifices  have 
knit  us  more  closely  together  and  made  us  love  our  country 
more ; 

That  He  has  purged  and  enlightened  our  national  conscience 
in  respect  to  our  national  sins,  especially  the  sin  of  slavery  ;  and 
has  also  made  us  recognize  more  fully  than  before  the  reality  of 
Divine  Providence,  the  sureness  and  justice  of  retribution  for 
national  guilt,  and  the  gi'and  fact  that  a  nation  can  be  exalted 
and  safe  only  as  it  yields  obedience  to  His  righteous  laws ; 

That  He  bestowed  such  grace  upon  our  churches  and  ministry, 
that  with  singular  unanimity  and  zeal  they  upheld  our  rightful 
government  by  their  unwavering  testimony  and  effectual  supi)li- 
cations,  identifying  the  success  of  the  nation  with  the  welfare  of 
the  Church.  That,  above  all  these  things,  He  has,  according  to 
His  gracious  promise,  watched  over  His  Church  and  kept  it  safe 
during  these  troublous  times  ;  so  that  not  only  has  our  Ameri- 
can Christianity  been  vindicated,  our  faith  and  order  maintained 
intact,  and  our  Christian  benevolence  enhanced,  but  our  pur- 
poses and  plans  for  the  future  have  been  also  enlarged  in  some 
proportion  to  the  need  and  growth  of  our  country ;  while  to 
crown  all  these  favors  with  His  special  benediction.  He  has  also, 
in  these  latter  days,  rained  down  spiritual  blessings  in  abundant 
measure  upon  so  many  churches  all  over  the  land. 

This  Assembly,  while  humbly  recognizing  these  judgments 
and  mercies  in  the  past  and  the  present,  also  bears  testimony  in 
respect  to  our  urgent  needs  and  duties  as  a  nation,  in  view  of 
the  new  era  upon  which  we  are  now  entering,  as  follows,  viz  : 

1.  Our  most  solemn  national  trust  concerns  that  patient  race, 
so  long  held  in  unrighteous  bondage.  Only  as  we  are  Just  to 
them  can  we  live  in  peace  and  safety.  Freed  by  the  national 
arms,  they  must  be  protected  in  all  their  civil  rights  by  the 
national  power.     And  as  promoting  this  end,  which  far  tran- 


Appe7idix.  441 

scends  any  mere  political  or  party  object,  we  rejoice  that  the 
active  functions  of  the  Freedmen's  Bureau  are  still  continued, 
and  especially  that  the  Civil  Rights  Bill  has  become  the  law  of 
the  land.  In  respect  to  the  concession  of  the  right  of  suiTrage 
to  the  colored  race,  this  Assembly  adheres  to  the  resolution  passed 
by  our  Assembly  of  1865  (Minutes,  p.  42)  :  "  That  the  colored 
man  should  in  this  country  enjoy  the  right  of  suffrage,  in  con- 
nection Avith  all  other  men,  is  but  a  simple  dictate  of  justice. 
The  Assembly  cannot  perceive  any  good  reason  why  he  should 
be  deprived  of  this  right  on  the  ground  of  his  color  or  his  race." 
Even  if  suffrage  may  not  be  universal,  let  it,  at  least,  be  impar- 
tial. 

2.  In  case  such  impartial  suffrage  is  not  conceded,  that  we 
may  still  reap  the  legitimate  fruits  of  our  national  victory  over 
secession  and  slavery,  and  that  treason  and  rebellion  may  not 
inure  to  the  direct  political  advantage  of  the  guilty,  we  judge  it 
to  be  a  simple  act  of  justice,  that  the  constitutional  basis  of  rep- 
resentation in  Congress  should  be  so  far  altered  as  to  meet  the 
exigencies  growing  out  of  the  abolition  of  slavery  ;  and  we  like- 
wise hold  it  to  be  the  solemn  duty  of  our  National  Executive 
and  Congress  to  adopt  only  such  methods  of  reconstruction  as 
shall  effectually  protect  all  loyal  persons  in  the  States  lately  in 
revolt. 

3.  As  loyalty  is  the  highest  civic  virtue,  and  treason  the  high- 
est civic  crime,  so  it  is  necessary  for  the  due  vindication  and 
satisfaction  of  national  justice,  that  the  chief  fomentors  and  rep- 
resentatives of  the  rebellion  should,  by  due  course  and  process  of 
law,  be  visited  with  condign  punishment. 

4.  The  Christian  religion  being  the  underlying  source  of  all 
our  power,  prosperity,  freedom,  and  national  nnity,  we  earnestly 
exhort  all  our  ministers  and  churches  to  constant  and  earnest 
prayer  for  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  his  constitu- 
tional counsellors  ;  for  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
in  Congress  assembled  ;  for  the  judges  in  our  national  courts  ; 
for  those  that  bear  rule  in  our  army  and  navy,  and  for  all  per- 
sons entrusted  with  authority  ;  that  they  may  be  endowed  with 
heavenly  wisdom,  and  rule  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  so  ad- 
minister their  high  trusts  Avithout  self-seeking  or  partiality,  that 
this  great  republic,  being  delivered  from  its  enemies,  may  renew 


442  Appendix. 

its  youth  and  put  forth  all  his  strength  in  the  ways  of  truth  and 
righteousness,  for  the  good  of  our  own  land  and  the  welfare  of 
mankind. 

5.  And  we  further  exhort  and  admonish  the  members  of  our 
churches  to  diligent  and  personal  efforts  for  the  safety  and  pros- 
perity of  the  nation,  to  set  aside  all  partisan  and  sectional  aims 
and  low  ambitions,  and  to  do  their  full  duty  as  Christian  free- 
men ;  to  the  end  that  our  Christian  and  Protestant  civilization 
may  maintain  its  legitimate  ascendancy,  and  that  we  become 
not  the  prey  of  any  form  of  infidelity,  or  subject  to  any  foreign 
priestly  domination  ;  that  the  sacred  interests  of  civil  and  relig- 
ious freedom,  of  human  rights  and  justice  to  all,  of  national 
loyalty  and  national  unity,  may  be  enlarged  and  jDcrpetuated, 
making  our  Christian  commonwealth  a  praise  among  the  nations 
of  the  earth,  exemplifying  and  speeding  the  progress  of  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 


APPENDIX,  F. 


Extracts  from  Professor  Smith's  ''  Reply  to  the  *  Prince- 
T0]sr  Eeview'"  ojs"  reunion,  "Am.  Pres.  and  Theol. 
Eeview,"  October,  1867, 

Everybody  knows  that  there  are  doctrinal  differences  between 
the  Old  School  and  the  New,  chiefly  in  the  explanations  and  phil- 
osophy of  the  doctrines  and  of  the  system.  But  are  there  not 
nearly  as  great  differences  in  each  school,  as  there  are  between 
the  schools  ?  We  think  there  are.  We  have  some  pretty  thor- 
ough Old  School  men  on  almost  all  the  points  in  the  New 
School ;  we  know  many  Old  School  ministers  who  can  only  be 
classified  as  New  School  in  point  of  doctrine.  The  Old  School 
is  divided  on  the  question  of  immediate  and  mediate  imputation; 
the  distinction  between  natural  and  moral  inability  and  ability 
is  recognized  by  many  of  their  divines  ;  and  they  very  generally 
preach  that  the  atonement  is  sufficient  for  all,  while  we  agree 
with  them  that  it  is  applied  only  to  the  elect.  All  that  we  claim 
and  say  is,  that  these  differences  are  consistent  with  an  intelligent 


Appendix.  445 

and  honest  adoption  of  the  standards,  and  should  be  no  bar  to 
ministerial  i'ellowsliip.  Tlie  technical  adjustment  of  them  is  not 
a  condition  of  reunion. 

It  would  be  utterly  impracticable  and  futile  to  attem])t  such 
an  adjustment,  and  embody  it  in  a  Plan  of  Union.  Both  par- 
ties have  already  the  same  Confession  of  Faith  and  Catechisms, 
the  best  extant.  All  that  we  can  do  is  to  accejit  them  in  their 
essential  and  necessary  articles,  with  a  recognition  of  possible, 
though  guarded  diversiiies  of  explanation,  the  system  and  doc- 
trines remaining  in  their  integrity.  Just  as  soon  as  we  go  be- 
yond this,  we  are  involved  in  inextricable  logomachy.  The  old 
disputes,  and  feuds,  and  warriors  come  into  the  van.  Each  side 
has  its  scliemes  and  definitions.  Quite  a  number  of  able  men  on 
both  sides  would  be  glad  to  add  codicils  to  the  Confession,  and 
seal  the  final  form  of  orthodoxy.  We  must  be  content  to  wait 
for  this  till  the  church  is  wiser,  and  better  and  more  united  ; 
until,  in  fact,  somebody  can  give  us  a  perfect  form  of  faith  in 
unison  with  a  perfect  system  of  philosophy,  adjusting  all  antag- 
onisms. A  united  Presbyterianism  may  possibly,  on  the  eve  of 
the  millennium,  breed  such  a  theologian,  but  the  time  is  not 
yet.  We  do  not  know  the  man,  nor  CTcn  the  school  that  is  now 
qualified  to  do  this  immortal  work.  The  wisest  and  best  and 
most  learned  men  we  have,  are  just  the  ones  who  would  shrink 
from  attempting  it.  Our  tyros  and  partisans  are  all  ready  for 
it,  and  would  not  make  much  of  it.  The  points  of  difference 
we  ought  to  be  Avilling,  on  all  proper  occasions,  to  state  and 
discuss ;  they  are  important  in  their  place,  and  some  of  them 
are  essential  to  the  order  and  coherence  of  the  system  ;  but  they 
cannot  be  embodied  in  anew  confession.*  Any  further  ques- 
tions that  may  arise,  as  to  the  orthodoxy  of  this  or  that  man, 
are  utterly  irrelevant  to  reunion.  No  one  man's  system  is  good 
enough  for  the  reunited  church. 

How  is  it,  now,  that  the  Princeton  Review,  after  making  so 

*  When  tlie  Southern  Presbyterian  churches  reunited,  in  18G4,  a  kind  of 
Confession  was  agreed  upon  informally,  but  not  embodied  in  the  act  of  re- 
union. That  Confession  may  serve  as  a  warning  ;  it  is  theologically  a  con- 
fusing and  inconsistent  document.  In  particular,  on  immediate  imputation, 
it  "  surrendirs  at  discretion."  In  the  reunion  of  1758,  no  new  confession 
seems  to  have  been  thought  of. 


444  Appendix, 

many  concessions,  is  still  able,  on  this  point,  to  frame  such  an  in- 
dictment against  the  New  School,  as  to  reject  reunion  ?  It  does 
this,  not  by  attempting  to  prove  ''the  prevalence  of  heresy  in 
the  New  School  Church,"  or  denying  ''its  general  orthodoxy," 
but  by  the  unqualified  assertion,  that  the  New  School  admits  to 
its  ministry  men  who  "  openly  deny"  the  essential  doctrines  of 
the  Confession,  such  as  original  sin,  inability,  the  atonement  as 
a  real  satisfaction  to  the  law  and  justice  of  God.  It  says,  that 
"it  is  as  clear  as  day,"  that  this  is  the  case;  that  our  church 
"  freely  receives  and  ordains  "  men  who  do  this  ;  that  the  pro- 
gramme of  the  Joint  Committee  would  allow  it ;  and  that  there- 
fore "  union  with  the  New  School  Church,  on  the  proposed 
programme,  would  be  the  renunciation  of  a  principle  to  which 
the  Old  School  are  pledged,  in  honor,  in  conscience,  and  by  sol- 
emn vows."  It  charges  the  Old  School  members  of  the  Com- 
mittee with  being  virtually  misled  on  this  i^oint  by  the  New 
School  ;  and  seems  somehow  to  have  found  out  that,  in  that 
committee,  the  New  School  members,  when  speaking  of  the  or- 
thodoxy of  our  church,  were  sj^eaking  only  of  themselves  "indi- 
vidually," and  said  what  is  quite  untrue  of  the  New  School 
Church  as  a  whole.  It  says,  "the  New  School  members  of  the 
committee  assured  them  [the  Old  School  members,]  that  as  for 
themselves  they  did  adopt  the  Confession  as  we  do.  This  is  no 
doubt  true  of  them  individually,  but  it  is  as  clear  as  day  that  it 
is  not  true  of  the  New  School  as  a  Church," 

These  are  quite  serious  charges,  now,  all  round.  We  venture 
the  assertion,  that  the  New  School  members  of  that  committee 
did  not  speak  of  themselves  "individually"  on  this  matter,  but 
testified,  from  what  they  know  of  our  church  as  a  whole,  that 
it  did  honestly  accept  the  Confession  of  Faith.  And  does  the 
Princeton  Review  know  more  about  the  real  opinions  of  the 
New  School  than  we  do  ourselves  ?  The  Searcher  of  hearts 
could  not  be  more  positive  than  is  the  Revieiu  on  this  point, 
where  it  must  get  its  information  chiefly  from  us,  and  where  we 
directly  contradict  it.  It  says  that  "everybody"  knows,  what 
we  say  nobody  can  know — for  it  is  not  so.  Men  are  not  admit- 
ted to  our  ministry  who  deny  these  cardinal  doctrines  of  the  Ee- 
formed  system.  The  charge  is  reckless  and  baseless.  If  the 
Princeton  Review  does  not  know  better,  it  ought  to  know  better. 


Appendix.  445 

It  is  essentially  unfair  to  judge  a  great  religious  body  by  hearsay 
and  rumor,  by  the  exaggerations  and  eccentricities  of  individu- 
als, by  past  feuds  and  not  by  present  acts,  by  prejudicial  conject- 
ures and  not  by  public  documents  and  authentic  records.  But 
the  Eevieiu  gives  no  documentary  evidence.  It  speaks  ex  cathe- 
dra as  if  its  mere  dictum  established  truth  and  fact. 

To  substantiate  its  accusation,  it  refers  to  a  certain  scheme  of 
■what  it  calls  the  "New  Divinity,"  which  it  says,  "is  publicly 
avowed  and  taught  by  not  a  few  of  their  [our]  ministers."  This 
scheme,  as  here  presented,  is  what  is  popularly  known  as  the 
New  Haven  theology,  an  eccentric  and  provincial  phase  of  New 
England  theology.  But  even  the  most  consistent  New  Haven 
men  would  refuse  assent  to  some  of  the  points  and  many  of  the 
inferences  here  made.  It  is  reduced  to  three  propositions  :  1. 
That  "ability  limits  obligation,"  with  the  inferences,  that  there 
is  no  moral  character  before  moral  action,  no  hereditary  deprav- 
ity, and  no  original  sin.  2.  "  That  a  free  agent  can  always  act 
in  opposition  to  any  amount  of  influence  that  can  be  brought  to 
bear  upon  him  ; "'  and  tliat,  consequently,  certainty  is  inconsist- 
ent with  free  agency ;  God  cannot  control  man's  acts ;  there  is 
no  election ;  regeneration  is  the  act  of  the  sinner  and  not  of 
God;  and  God  cannot  prevent  sin  in  a  moral  system.  3.  "A 
regard  to  our  happiness  is  the  ground  of  obligation.  We  are 
bound  to  do  whatever  gives  us  most  enjoyment.  Our  whole  alle- 
giance is  to  ourselves.  If  serving  the  world,  sin,  or  Satan,  would 
make  us  happier  than  serving  God,  we  should  be  bound  to  serve 
sin." 

This  is  the  system,  or  its  caricature;  and  the  New  School,  it 
is  alleged,  has  "refused  to  allow  these  doctrines  to  be  con- 
demned," ordains  men  who  hold  them,  and  they  are  "publicly 
taught"  in  our  churches.  We  say,  on  the  contrary,  that  the 
New  School  has  virtually  condemned  this  system  as  here  pre- 
sented ;  that  it  does  not  ordain  men  who  hold  it ;  and  that  some 
of  the  principles  and  all  of  the  main  inferences,  as  thus  given, 
would  be  as  universally  repudiated  among  us  as  in  the  Old 
School.  In  respect  to  the  "happiness"  principle,  for  example, 
Dr.  Taylor  himself  did  not  espouse  it  in  the  crude  form  here  laid 
down  ;  but  even  in  his  more  subtle  mode  of  statement,  it  would 
be  generally  reprobated  by  the  whole  of  the  New  School.     And 


44^  Appejtdix. 

on  the  other  points,  the  Aubnrn  Convention  formally  adopted 
an  "Explication  of  Doctrine,"  drawn  up  by  the  New  School 
members  of  the  Assembly  of  1837,  in  which  these  topics  were 
candidly  explained,  and  the  inferences  aboye  made  formally  re- 
pudiated. This  is  authentic  and  documentary  evidence.  Thus, 
they  say  expressly,  that  "  God  permitted  the  introduction  of  sin, 
not  because  He  could  not  prevent  it  consistently  with  the  moral 
freedom  of  His  creatures,  but  for  wise  and  benevolent  reasons 
which  He  has  not  revealed. "  They  speak  of  regeneration,  as  "  a 
radical  change  of  heart,  produced  by  the  special  operations  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  determining  the  sinner  to  that  which  is  good." 
"  Original  sin  is  a  natural  bias  to  evil,  resulting  from  the  first 
apostasy,  leading  invariably  and  certainly  to  actual  transgression. 
And  all  infants,  as  well  as  adults,  in  order  to  be  saved,  need  re- 
demption by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  regeneration  by  the  Holy 
Ghost."  "  The  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ  were  not  symbol- 
ical, governmental,  and  instructive  only,  but  were  truly  vicari- 
ous, i.  e.,  a  substitute  for  the  punishment  due  to  transgressors." 
And  so  on  other  points. 

That  there  are  differences  of  opinion  on  certain  abstract  prin- 
ciples about  the  will,  ability  and  inability,  and  the  nature  and 
mode  of  the  divine  influence,  we  do  not  deny.  There  are  differ- 
ences among  ourselves  ;  there  are  differences  in  the  Old  School 
also  ;  there  have  always  been,  and  may  always  be,  differences  in 
the  church.  For  here  is  the  mysterious  region  where  the  infi- 
nite and  the  finite,  divine  and  human  agency,  come  together ; 
and  what  mortal  vision  has  penetrated  that  mystery  ?  Here  is 
where  moral  obligation,  moral  agency,  and  personal  responsibil- 
ity are  at  stake.  Divine  sovereignty  and  human  freedom  here 
come  to  their  closest  contact,  and  the  problem  of  theology  is  to 
save  both.  There  is  a  fair  and  broad  distinction  between  natural 
and  moral  ability  and  inability.  The  differences  here,  as  they 
actually  exist,  are  of  more  or  less,  rather  than  of  Yes  or  No. 
"We  do  not  all  agree  in  our  philosophy  and  metaphysics  ;  and  do 
we  need  to  do  so,  in  order  to  ministerial  fellowship  ?  If  any  one 
so  holds  the  fact  of  man's  freedom  and  ability  as  to  deny  the 
doctrines  of  God's  omnipotence,  and  of  original  sin,  he.  of  course, 
could  not  accept  our  Confession  of  Faith,  and  would  be  rejected 
by  our  presbyteries.     Does  the  Princeton  Review  know  of  any 


Appendix.  447 

such,  wlio  haye  been  accepted  ?  We  do  not.  A  man  may  hold 
an  abstract  thesis,  and  deny  our  inferences  from  it ;  and  we  can 
not  hold  him  responsible  for  our  inferences.  He  may  be  incon- 
sistent ;  but  consistency,  though  a  jewel,  is  not  essential  to  min- 
isterial communion  ;  else  we  should  find  it  difficult  to  fraternize 
even  with  the  Princeton  Review  in  all  its  moods.  There  must 
be  toleration  on  points  not  essential  and  necessary,  or  there  can 
not  be  either  union  or  reunion. 

We  say,  then,  if  any  one  demands  that  we  should  tie  ourselves 
down  to  any  single  extreme  explanations  of  the  mooted  points  of 
imputation,  inability,  and  a  limited  atonement,  we  could  not  ac- 
cept even  reunion  at  such  a  price.  Even  the  Princeton  Review 
does  not  seem  to  stand  upon  this.  Some  may  hold  and  continue 
to  teach  immediate  imputation,  an  unqualified  inability,  and  an 
exclusive  limitation  in  the  very  design  of  the  atonement.  But 
no  one  has  the  right  to  say  that  such  views  are  essential  to  the 
integrity  of  the  Eeformed  system  or  to  an  honest  adhesion  to  all 
its  doctrines.  Any  school  that  does  this,  assumes  what  it  has 
no  right  to  assume;  it  creates  a  narrow  and  partial  standard  of 
orthodoxy,  to  which  we  owe  no  allegiance.  Even  if  we  held  the 
same  doctrines,  we  would  deny  the  dictation.  No  man  and  no 
school  can  say,  that  historical  Calvinism' is  necessarily  identified 
with  such  partial  views  ;  other  men,  the  best,  wisest  and  most 
learned  in  both  schools,  know  that  this  is  not  the  case.  The 
spirit  that  fosters  reunion  is  opposed  to  such  exclusive  claims. 
For  these  extreme  views  represent  one  phase,  and  one  only,  of 
the  Calvinistic  system  ;  there  are  other  and  broader  phases.  It 
was,  we  believe,  from  the  very  first,  a  historical  and  theological 
mistake  to  put  the  defense  of  our  Confession,  against  the  one- 
sided theories  of  the  "  New  Divinity,"  on  those  equally  one-sided 
theories  of  the  older  Calvinism — as  though  these  antagonisms 
represented  the  only  phases  of  theological  belief.  This  is  not  so. 
The  bulk  of  our  ministry  and  churches  have  never  gone  with 
either  extreme ;  they  have  kept  the  true  via  media.  In  this 
middle  and  temperate  zone  lies  the  solid  faith  of  our  churches, 
making  them  strong  for  solid  work. 

On  the  points  of  doctrinal  belief,  then,'  it  is  our  conviction, 
that  the  two  schools  are  substantially  agreed,  and  can  unite  in 
a  common  confession.     There  are  no  differences  that  may  not 


44^  Appendix. 

honestly  be  brought  under  the  constitutional  form  of  assent,  as 
explained  by  the  Princeton  Revieiv.  There  are  no  differences 
which  do  not  fairly  come  under  historical  Calvinism.  We  can 
both  receive  the  Keformed  system  of  faith,  and  its  individual 
doctrines,  in  their  integrity,  while  differing  in  explanations  and 
proportions.  If  we  did  not  believe  this,  we  would  not,  and 
could  not,  favor  reunion.  Apart  from  theological  technicalities 
and  philosophical  explanations,  we  are  one  in  accepting  that 
grand  old  system  of  faith,  Pauline,  Augustinian,  and  Eeformed, 
which  has  been  the  vital  substance  and  stay  of  the  church  in  its 
main  conflicts  with  error  and  unbelief.  "VVe  believe  in  the  one 
only  Triune  God,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  in 
one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  God-man,  divine  and  human,  consub- 
stantial  with  the  Father  according  to  his  divinity,  and  consub- 
stantial  with  us  men  according  to  his  humanity ;  and  in  the 
Holy  Ghost,  the  lord  and  giver  of  life,  who  alone  renews  and 
sanctifies  our  fallen  human  nature.  We  believe  that  God  cre- 
ated all  things  from  nothing,  by  the  word  of  his  power  ;  that  in 
his  all-wise  providence  He  sustains  and  governs  all  his  creatures 
and  all  their  actions  ;  that  by  his  decree  all  things  stand,  that  in 
his  wise,  holy,  and  eternal  purpose  all  our  destiny,  for  time  and 
for  eternity,  is  embraced— yet  so  that  violence  is  not  done  to  the 
will  of  the  creature,  nor  is  the  liberty  and  contingency  of  second 
causes  taken  away,  but  rather  established.  We  also  confess  the 
essential  doctrines,  which  make  the  distinguishing  and  vital  sub- 
stance of  the  Eeformed  system, — original  sin,  as  derived  from 
Adam,  since  we  sinned  in  him  and  fell  with  him  in  his  first 
transgression  ;  total  depravity,  which  makes  us  averse  to  all 
good,  and  unable,  of  ourselves,  to  repent  and  believe — yet  so 
that  this  inability  is  moral,  rooted  also  in  our  personal  responsi- 
bility, and  stricken  with  our  own  and  not  merely  a  foreign  guilt; 
the  atoning  work  of  our  Lord,  not  symbolical  and  governmental 
only,  but  also  a  proper  sacrifice  for  sin,  and  thus  a  satisfaction 
to  the  divine  justice  as  well  as  a  revelation  of  the  divine  love  ; 
the  covenant  of  redemption,  wherein  this  atonement  was  made 
so  general  as  to  be  sufficient  for  all  and  to  be  offered  unto  all, 
and  so  particular  as  to  be  effectually  applied  in  the  salvation  of 
believers  ;  personal  election  unto  everlasting  life,  and  the  final 
perseverance  of  those  who  are  effectually  called.     Justification 


Appendix.  449 

only  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  regeneration  only  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  sanetification,  progressive  here  and 
completed  hereafter,  and  endless  life  in  Christ,  we  equally  con- 
fess and  believe.  With  all  the  diversities  of  the  imperfect  and 
jarring  speech  of  earth,  there  is  amongst  us  a  substantial  accord 
in  that  which  makes  the  unison  and  melody  of  the  one  language 
of  heaven. 

If  such,  now,  be  the  state  of  the  case  as  to  our  interpretation 
of  the  terms  of  subscription,  and  as  to  our  real  doctrinal  belief, 
— what  judgment  must  we  and  others  form  as  to  the  representa- 
tions made  of  us  in  the  Princeton  Review  ?  We  can  not  be  si- 
lent under  such  imputations,  for  too  much  is  at  stake  ;  nor  will 
we  retort  them.  We  are  bound,  on  both  sides,  as  matters  now 
stand,  to  say  nothing  that  we  should  wish  to  retract,  provided 
the  reunion  is  consummated.  But  the  Princeton  Revieio  has 
said  what,  in  common  courtesy,  it  must  take  back,  if  we  come 
together.  It  has  made  specific  charges,  which  w^e  definitely  deny. 
They  are  charges  which  affect  our  Christian  faith  and  honor. 
They  are  made  in  a  dictatorial  tone.  They  have  aroused  a  gen- 
eral feeling  of  indignation  throughout  our  cliurch,  and  among 
many  in  the  Old  (School,  who  are  surprised  and  grieved  at  these 
unproved  denunciations  in  the  midst  of  our  reunion  conferences. 
Such  accusations  put  grave  difficulties  in  the  way  of  reunion. 

.  ,  .  The  Old  School  must,  by  its  action,  disown  these  im- 
putations, or  break  oS  the  negotiations.  The  responsibility  is 
now  in  its  hands.  We  are  ready  to  accept  reunion  on  fair  and 
honorable  terms,  and  on  no  other. 

And  the  question  must  be  soon  decided.  Both  parties  will  be 
hampered  by  a  long  delay.  Both  have  a  great  work  to  do,  to- 
gether or  apart.  If  you  say  together,  we  will  join  you  heart  and 
hand.  And  if  you  say,  apart — so  be  it.  We  are  vigorous,  elas- 
tic and  united.  We  are  not  yet  doing  half  of  what  we  ought  to 
do.  We  are  ready  for  the  race.  And  we  will  contend  with  you 
in  an  earnest  and  peaceful  rivalry  all  through  our  boundless 
prairies,  and  along  our  majestic  rivers,  and  up  and  down  the 
slopes  of  our  grand  Western  mountains,  rich  in  gold  and  silver  ; 
wherever  our  teeming  population  wanders  and  clusters,  there, 
too,  we  will  go,  if  not  with  you,  yet  laboring  by  your  side,  for 
our  sacred  and  common  cause,  the  cause  of  our  only  Lord  and. 
29 


450  Appendix. 

Master.  And  when  this  our  task  is  done,  and  this  onr  land  has 
become  the  land  of  Christ,  then,  on  the  shores  of  the  peaceful 
Pacific,  if  not  now  on  the  stormy  Atlantic  coast,  we  will  clasp 
inseparable  hands,  and  repeat  with  peiiitence  and  faith  that  hal- 
lowed petition  of  our  interceding  Lord — ''  That  they  all  may  be 
one!" 

But  better,  far  better,  wiser,  far  wiser,  that  we  go  together. 
A  separate  existence,  based  in  mutual  misunderstandings  and 
misrepresentations,  cannot  behest  for  either  side.  Why  may  we 
not  forget  or  tolerate  our  non-essential  differences,  and  rise  to 
the  full  stature  of  our  work  ?  The  strength  of  Presbyterianism 
is  in  its  doctrines  and  polity  ;  its  weakness  is  in  its  tenacity  for 
non-essentials — here  is  the  main  cause  of  its  divisions.  This  is 
not  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  nineteenth  century,  with 
the  true  spirit  of  American  Presbyterianism,  or  with  the  spirit 
of  Christianity.  We  need  a  broader  basis  for  our  work.  Ours 
must  be  an  American,  and  not  an  imported,  still  less  a  merely 
Scotch,  Presbyterianism.  Much  as  we  love  and  honor  Scotland, 
we  cannot  there  find  the  perfect  type  for  our  free  and  growing 
church.  The  Scotch  bag-pipe  doubtless  discourses  most  excel- 
lent music,  and  we  like  to  hear  it ;  but  we  do  not  care  to  be  re- 
stricted to  it,  especially  when  it  is  out  of  sorts  ;  and  we  seem  to 
have  heard  some  loftier  and  more  inspiring  strains.  The  Psalms 
of  David  are  good  to  be  sung  in  the  old  Scotch  version  ;  but 
even  in  public  worship  it  is  also  well  to  sing  such  hymns  as 
"  Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds."  It  is  goodly  to  sit  down  at  the 
Lord's  table  with  those  who  literally  accept  every  proposition  of 
our  somewhat  long  Confession  ;  it  is  better  to  sit  down  at  the 
Lord's  table  with  all  who  can  humbly  partake  of  the  life-giving 
symbols  of  the  passion  of  our  Lord.  We  can  have  cordial  fel- 
lowship with  those  who  hold  to  the  strictest  forms  of  Calvinism, 
provided  we  are  not  compelled  to  repeat  only  their  words  and  to 
withhold  a  freer  gospel.  If  we  can  learn  to  bear  with  one  an- 
other's weaknesses,  we  may  be  united  and  become  strong.  Other- 
wise, we  must  keep  on,  divided,  and  subdividing  ;  and  our  will- 
fulness becomes  our  folly. 

The  question  we  are  now  helping  to  decide  is  really  this, — 
whether  we  can  have  an  American  Presbyterian  Church,  or 
whether  we  are  to  be  given  over  to  perpetual  conflicts,  and  pro- 


■  Appendix.  451 

yincial  assemblies.  And  to  all  who  really  love  our  Reformed 
faith  and  Presbyterian  order,  this  is  a  vital  point,  that  needs  to 
be  laid  well  to  heart.  There  is  an  unbroken  Roman  Catholic, 
and  a  reunited  Episcopal  Church,  each  stretching  all  over  the 
land.  Congregationalists  are  working  together,  in  spite  of  their 
intense  individuiilism.  The  Methodists  and  Baptists,  North  and 
South,  will  doubtless,  ere  long,  come  to  terms.  If  we  believe  that 
our  faith  and  polity  are  better  than  any  of  these,  we  must  use 
the  means  to  insure  success.  Every  other  denomination  in  the 
land  wonders  why  we  do  not  unite.  Impartial  observers  tell  us 
that  our  continued  separation  and  strife  bring  reproach  ujoon  our 
common  Christianity.  Our  reunion  is  recommended  and  en- 
forced, not  only  by  all  the  general  arguments  for  Christian 
union,  by  the  necessity  of  making  an  organized  stand  against  in- 
roads of  infidelity  and  superstition,  and  by  the  plain  admonitions 
of  God's  Holy  Word  ;  but  also  by  the  special  and  cogent  reason, 
that  we  have  the  same  standards  of  doctrine  and  of  polity.  A 
united  Presbyterian  Church,  combining  our  main  divisions, 
would  be  a  powerful  organization.  Reunion  would  stimulate  us 
to  renewed  efforts.  We  could  at  once  lay  a  noble  thank-offering 
on  the  altar  of  the  Lord.  All  our  schemes  would  be  enlarged 
and  vitalized.  Our  Boards  of  Foreign  and  Home  Missions  could 
soon  double  their  work.  Our  best  young  men  would  have  strong 
inducements  to  flock  into  our  ministry.  We  might  look,  with 
more  confidence,  for  the  favor  and  blessing  of  our  Lord.  Why 
may  not  this  be  ?  What  are  any  partial  and  partisan  ends  com- 
pared with  this  magnificent  prospect  ?  Let  us  come  together. 
The  one  stream,  flowing  for  a  while  disparted,  with  some  de- 
batable land  between,  will  be  reunited  in  a  broader,  deeper,  and 
swifter  channel,  the  debatable  ground  left  behind,  and  before 
us  that  delectable  land,  toward  which  we  were  trending  even 
while  sundered,  our  common  port  and  haven,  where  our  earthly 
conflicts  will  be  forgotten  in  our  eternal  fellowship.  Then  shall 
our  peace  be  as  a  river,  and  our  righteousness  as  the  waves  of 
the  sea,  and  the  Prince  of  peace  will  crown  us  with  his  benignant 
blessing. 


452  Appendix. 

APPENDIX,  G. 

Rev.  Thomas  H,  Skinker,  D.D. 

Died  February  \st,  1871.     A  Few  Words  at  Ms  Funeral, 
Fel.  Uh,  1871. 

By  Professor  Henry  B.  Smith. 

Our  reverend  father  and  brother  in  the  Christian  ministry 
was  connected  with  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  of  this 
city,  as  a  director  from  its  beginning  in  1836,  and  as  its  Pro- 
fessor of  Sacred  Ehetoric,  Pastoral  Theology,  and  Church  Gov- 
ernment for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Of  those  who  were 
with  him  in  its  foundation,  only  three  survive — Dr  Adams,  Mr. 
Charles  Butler  (now  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors),  and 
Mr.  Fisher  Howe  of  Brooklyn.  Our  Seminary  owes  as  much  to 
Dr.  Skinner  as  to  any  other  man  ;  in  some  respects,  especially  in 
its  spiritual  power  and  history,  it  owes  more  to  him  than  to  any 
other  man.  I  am  to  say  a  few  words  on  what  he  was  to  us,  and 
of  our  special  loss.  This  is  not  the  time  to  speak  of  him  in  the 
details  of  his  life's  work. 

A  theological  seminary  needs  to  be  poised  upon  a  spiritual 
centre ;  not  only  to  be  rooted  in  Christ  the  Head,  but  also  to 
centre  in  some  visible  impersonation  of  the  spiritual  power  of 
a  living  Christian  faith,  animating  its  members  by  example  and 
by  word.  That  was  the  position  which  our  venerable  senior 
professor  held  (all  unconsciously  to  himself)  to  both  the  faculty 
and  the  students  of  this  institution.  Such  spiritual  force  is 
silent,  it  is  not  much  spoken  of  ;  but  its  loss  is  felt  as  we  feel  the 
setting  of  the  sun.  It  comes — it  can  come — only  from  a  life  in- 
stinct with  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come  ;  it  cannot  be  born 
of  the  will  of  man  ;  it  cannot  be  bought — the  price  of  it  is  above 
rubies ;  it  is  fashioned  by  divine  grace,  and  its  presence  is  felt 
rather  than  defined. 

Dr.  Skinner  came  to  us  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  intellect,  and 
gave  to  our  students  the  wisest  and  maturest  labors  of  his  length- 
ened life.  The  brilliant  enthusiasm  of  his  earliest  ministry  in 
Philadelphia,  heightened  by  its  conflicts ;  the  ardent  and  pun- 


Appeji  dix.  453 

gent  evangelism,  the  flaming  logic,  of  his  memorable  service  in 
the  Mercer  Street  Church,  built  by  and  for  him  ;  his  varied  and 
earnest  studies ;  his  catholic  spirit,  and  his  settled  Presbyterian 
convictions — all  worked  in  and  enabled  him,  at  an  age  when 
most  men  think  of  retiring  from  their  labors,  to  achieve  high 
repute  in  a  new  work.  He  was  nearly  three-score  years  of  age 
when  he  began  his  instructions  to  our  classes  :  but  very  few  men 
have  such  tenacity  and  elasticity  of  both  body  and  mind.  One 
reason  of  his  endurance  and  success  is,  that  he  wisely  stuck  to 
his  proper  work. 

His  old  age,  the  period  commonly  so  called,  was  indeed  remark- 
able. Few  men  whose  lives  are  so  long  spared  are  what  he  was. 
He  never  outlived  his  enthusiasm  for  anything  good  and  true, 
even  though  it  might  be  \\q\^.  On  the  themes  that  interested 
him  he  would  light  up  to  tlie  last  with  the  fervor  of  youth.  In 
his  higher  mental  powers  he  did  not  seem  to  grow  old.  Now 
and  then  the  brightness  of  his  eye  was  dimmed,  his  hearing  be- 
came a  shade  less  acute,  his  abstraction  from  external  things  Avas 
somewhat  more  noticeable  ;  but  his  intellect  remained  clear  and 
intent;  his  soul  grew  larger  with  his  growing  years,  and  the 
scope  of  his  spiritual  vision  was  widened  as  he  mounted  higher 
and  higher.  How  easily  he  surpassed  us  all  in  spiritual  discern- 
ment! 

And  this  was  what  distinguished  him  :  while  living  in  the 
world  he  lived  above  the  world.  I  have  never  known  a  more 
unworldly  character.  He  was  absorbed  by  a  higher  life.  The 
so-called  fascinations  and  distractions  of  this  teeming  metropolis 
were  no  temptations  to  him ;  he  was  among  them  but  not  of 
them  ;  they  just  glanced  off  from  his  untarnished  shield.  And 
even  in  the  Church  he  could  never  understand  manceuvering  and 
ecclesiastical  politics ;  he  knew  so  little  about  such  by-means 
that  he  was  really  amazed  at  them.  He  just  thought  and  said 
what  seemed  true,  and  did  what  seemed  right,  and  all  the  rest 
was  no  concern  of  his,  somebody  would  take  care  of  it.  And  he 
was  so  single-minded  that,  had  the  necessity  come,  he  would,  I 
doubt  not,  have  marched  to  the  stake  singing  the  song  of  vic- 
tory.    He  believed  in  another  life. 

In  Plato's  immortal  description  of  the  cave  and  the  light,  he 
tells  us  that  the  dwellers  in  the  cave  when  they  come  to  the  light 


454  A  ppendix. 

seem  to  others  to  be  dazed.  There  is  always  a  kind  of  abstrac- 
tion about  great  thinkers,  poets,  and  divines.  Common  people 
cannot  quite  see  through  them.  They  speak  from  a  larger  view 
and  to  a  greater  audience  than  that  of  their  own  generation. 
Mutely  they  appeal  to  a  coming  tribunal.  And  so  our  departed 
friend  was  at  times  engrossed  and  absorbed  in  the  high  subjects 
of  Christian  thought.  He  pondered  them  by  day  and  by  night. 
He  saw  them  from  the  Mount  of  Vision.  He  described  them  in 
glowing  periods.  His  fellowship  was  with  the  Father  and  Son. 
If  he  thought  and  spake  less  of  the  things  of  time,  it  was  because 
like  Paul  he  was  rapt  in  a  higher  sphere — where  God's  "  glory 
smote  him  in  the  face." 

He  was  to  the  last  a  reader,  a  student,  aud  a  thinker.  No 
student  in  the  Seminary  had  a  keener  relish  for  hard  work  than 
he,  or  found  more  to  learn.  Until  within  two  or  three  years  he 
was  always  rewriting  his  lectures  and  even  his  sermons.  His 
most  carefully  prepared  work,  his  "Discussions  in  Theology," 
an  admirable  book,  was  published  only  three  years  ago.  Some 
of  the  essays  in  it  are  not  only  complete  in  their  anatomy,  but 
are  finished  with  the  refined  art  of  a  sculptor. 

And  the  same  volume  also  defines  his  theological  position.  In 
seeking  for  truth  he  never  seemed  to  ask,  what  is  the  view  of  my 
side,  but  what  is  the  truth  itself  ?  He  did  not  take  his  defini- 
tions from  any  man.  Cordially  attached  to  the  theology  of  the 
Eeformed  Churches,  he  was  always  willing  to  merge  lesser 
differences  for  the  sake  of  the  unity  and  prosperity  of  the 
Church. 

His  Seminary  duties  were  not  ofiicial  tasks;  he  loved  his  work, 
and  it  grew  upon  him.  His  lectures  on  Church  Government, 
and  Sacred  Ehetoric,  and  the  Pastoral  Office,  were  wrought  out 
with  comprehensive  thought  and  care.  To  the  very  last  he  read 
all  new  works  on  these  subjects,  though  he  did  not  find  in  them 
much  that  was  new  to  him.  But  he  praised  many  a  book,  and 
many  a  sermon,  rather  from  the  fullness  of  his  own  vision  than 
from  what  others  could  find  in  them. 

All  true  human  greatness  is  also  humble ;  it  does  not  seem 
to  seek  its  own.  With  his  acknowledged  superiority,  how 
deferential  was  our  brother  to  others,  even  to  men  of  low 
estate  !    It  was  sometimes  embarrassing  to  us  to  find  that  he 


Appendix.  455 

was  not  aware  of  his  own  superior  position.  He  was  among 
us  as  one  that  serveth.  There  was  about  liim  a  certain  grace  of 
manner,  an  old-time  chivahy  of  tone  (now  almost  a  tradition) 
toward  those  less  and  younger  and  weaker  than  himself,  which 
showed  the  true  nobility  of  his  soul.  It  came  from  his  high 
sense  of  personal  honor,  which  made  him  honor  all  men.  He 
was  magnanimous  because  he  was  humble. 

And  what  a  helper  and  friend  he  was!  His  personal  affections 
were  unswerving.  When  I  came  here,  he  took  me  by  the  hand, 
and  its  cordial  pressure  was  never  relaxed.  When  the  pastor  of 
this  church  succeeded  him  in  the  ministry,  no  one  greeted  him 
and  no  one  has  clung  to  him  as  did  he.  He  was  never  weary  of 
talking  of  his  old  friends  at  home  in  North  Carolina,  of  Dr. 
Wilson,  and  brother  Patterson,  and  Albert  Barnes — with  Avhom 
he  was  united  in  life,  and  by  death  not  long  divided — of  his 
teachers  and  classmates  in  Nassau  Hall.  What  he  was  as  a  hus- 
band and  a  father — dearest  of  all  earthly  names — they  only  fully 
know  who  to-day  mourn  most  deeply  and  are  most  deeply  com- 
forted. 

A  thousand  of  his  pupils,  all  over  our  country  and  in  many 
a  distant  land,  mourn  with  us  his  loss ;  and  many  thousands  to 
whom  he  preached  the  Gospel,  will  sorrow  for  him  who  led  them 
to  Christ,  and  by  his  own  life  showed  the  way. 

As  a  teacher  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  he  was  cordially  at- 
tached to  its  doctrine  and  government.  But  this  did  not  ex- 
clude, it  rather  favored,  his  love  for  the  whole  body  of  Christ. 
It  not  only  gave  him  zeal  for  our  auspicious  reunion,  but  en- 
larged his  love  for  all  who  profess  and  call  themselves  Christians. 
His  charity  could  not  be  bounded  by  the  confines  of  any  sect. 
He  believed  more  fully  in  the  invisible  than  in  the  visible  church. 
He  loved  all  the  brethren  and  labored  for  all  men. 

His  power  and  influence  as  a  theological  teacher  were  also  in- 
creased by  his  keen  sense  of  the  honor  and  dignity  of  his  own 
profession.  In  this  he  was  not  humble,  for  he  spake  from  a  high 
calling.  Necessity  was  laid  upon  him.  No  student  could  doubt 
that  he  really  felt.  Woe  is  unto  me  and  to  you,  if  we  do  not 
preach  the  Gospel,  for  eternity  is  here  at  stake.  No  one  could 
doubt  that  he  truly  believed  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  to  be 
the  highest  and  the  most  serviceable  office  which  man  can  fill, 


4  5  6  Appendix. 

that  of  an  ambassador  for  Christ  at  the  service  of  all  men  for 
their  spiritual  welfare. 

His  personal  power  was  also  enhanced,  year  by  year,  with  the 
increase  of  his  spiritual  life  ;  while  the  outward  man  was  perish- 
ing, the  inward  man  was  renewed  day  by  day.  He  became  more 
and  more  a  living  Epistle,  a  Gospel  of  God's  grace,  known  and 
read  of  all  men.  Vexed  and  perplexing  questions  were  merged 
in  a  higher  life.  Revealed  facts  took  the  place  of  disputed  prop- 
ositions. The  living  Christ  took  the  place  of  the  doctors  of  the 
schools,  and  with  advantage. 

Thus  he  lived  and  grew  day  by  day,  in  his  serene  and  hallowed 
old  age,  toward  the  measure  of  that  stature  of  a  perfect  man  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Was  he,  then,  a  saint  on  earth  ?  He  was  called 
to  be  a  saint,  and  he  was  always  fulfilling  his  calling,  not  count- 
ing himself  to  have  attained,  but  ever  pressing  onward.  Upon 
the  whole,  I  think  he  was  as  saint-like  a  man  as  any  of  us  have 
ever  seen. 

So  he  lived  on,  with  his  wiry  and  flexible  frame,  mind  and 
body  active  to  the  last.  Every  succeeding  winter  we  have  thought 
might  be  too  much  for  him.  But  he  bore  up  bravely — till  he 
touched  the  verge  of  four-score  years.  The  shadows  of  his  life 
lengthened  but  he  saw  not  the  shadows,  for  his  face  was  turned 
to  the  light.  Ten  days  ago  I  met  him  at  the  Seminary  for  the 
last  time ;  and  his  grasp  was  as  firm  and  his  look  as  warm  as 
ever  ;  though  even  then  he  said  :  "  I  cannot  long  be  with  you." 
He  went  out  into  the  piercing  cold — its  rigor  seized  upon  him  ; 
its  fatal  grasp  could  not  be  loosened ;  his  time  had  come ;  his 
Master  called,  and  he  was  always  ready.  Of  death  he  had  no 
fear,  though  he  sometimes  said  that  he  shrank  from  dying.  But 
at  last  even  this  natural  fear  passed  away,  and  he  could  say  with 
a  full  heart : 

"  Welcome  the  hour  of  full  discharge 
Which  sets  my  longing  soul  at  large, 
Unbinds  my  chains,  breaks  up  my  cell, 
And  gives  me  with  my  God  to  dwell." 

To  him  *' dying  was  but  going  home."  Peacefully  he  passed 
away  as  a  child  to  its  rest.  He  has  gone  where  there  is  no 
more  winter,  where  everlasting  spring  abides.     He  is  with  the 


Appendix.  457 

patriarchs  and  apostles  and  saints  and  brethren  he  loved  so  well ; 
and  yet  he  hardly  sees  them  in  his  impassioned  vision  of  One 
whose  name  is  above  every  name,  and  whose  image  was  upon 
his  soul.  He  has  heard  the  welcome,  "Well  done,  good  and 
faithful  servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord."  And 
over  his  grave  we  can  only  say— mastering  our  grief — Blessed 
are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord. 


APPENDIX,  H. 

MINUTE   OF   UNION   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY. 

January  14,  1874. 

Whereas,  the  Board  have  heard  with  profound  grief,  of  the 
serious  illness  of  Professor  Henry  B.  Smith,  D.D.,  disabling 
him  entirely  at  present  from  performing  the  duties  of  that  chair 
which  he  has  so  long  graced  and  honored  ;  and  whereas,  this 
illness,  protracted  already  through  such  a  length  of  time,  makes 
his  return  to  the  full  activities  of  his  professorship  so  uncertain 
that  he  has  felt  constrained  to  tender  the  resignation  of  his 
office : 

Therefore,  be  it  Resolved,  That  with  the  tenderest  sympathy 
for  Professor  Smith,  in  view  of  the  necessity  which  has  arisen  in 
his  case,  for  absolute  exemption  from  official  service,  and  out  of 
regard  to  the  public  trusts  which  they  are  charged  to  administer, 
this  Board,  though  with  utmost  reluctance,  hereby  accept  his 
resignation. 

Whereas,  the  Board  cherish  the  highest  and  most  grateful 
sense  of  their  obligations  to  Professor  Smith  for  his  past  services, 
his  indefatigable  exertions  in  behalf  of  the  Seminary  for  so  many 
years,  his  pre-eminent  ability  as  a  Theological  Teacher,  and  his 
well-earned  renown  as  a  Christian  Scholar,  and,  indulging  the 
hope,  that,  by  the  season  of  entire  repose  which  medical  author- 
ity has  prescribed  he  may  yet  be  enabled  to  resume  his  usual 
intellectual  pursuits,  and  this  Seminary  again  enjoy  the  benefit 
of  his  invaluable  services  : 


45  S  Appendix. 

Therefore,  be  it  Resolved, 

First,  That  the  salary  of  Professor  Smith  be  continued  to  the 
end  of  this  academic  year ;  and 

Second,  That  it  be  referred  to  a  committee  consisting  of  the 
President  and  the  Vice-President  of  the  Board,  the  Eev.  Dr. 
Stearns,  D.  Willis  James,  J.  Crosby  Brown,  and  Joseph  How- 
land,  to  consider  and  report  what  arrangements  should  be  made 
by  which  Dr.  Henry  B.  Smith  may  be  retained  in  connection 
with  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  as  Professor  Emeritus, 
and  what  salary  may  be  appropriated  to  his  support  during  the 
continuance  of  the  same,  and  also  what  duties  may  be  assigned 
to  him  in  the  event  of  the  restoration  of  his  health. 

The  by-law  in  respect  to  nominations  was  suspended,  and  the 
Board  proceeded  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation 
of  Professor  Smith;  whereupon,  by  an  affirmative  vote  of  seven- 
teen ballots,  the  Eev.  Wm.  G.  T.  Shedd,  D.D.,  was  chosen  the 
Eoosevelt  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology,  in  Union  Theologi- 
cal Seminary  ;  and  the  Eev.  Dr.  Adams  was  appointed  to  inform 
him  of  his  election,  and  to  request  his  acceptance  of  the  chair 
to  which  he  has  been  appointed.  In  the  event  of  Dr.  Shedd's 
acceptance,  it  was  referred  to  the  Executive  Committee  and  the 
Faculty,  to  make  arrangements  for  the  provisional  occupation  of 
the  chair  of  Sacred  Literature. 

It  was  Resolved,  That  Professor  E.  B.  Gillett,  D.D.,  of  the 
University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  be  requested  to  take  charge 
of  the  Library,  until  Professor  Smith's  return — or  other  arrange- 
ments can  be  made. 

Edwin  F.  Hatfield,  Eecorder. 


APPENDIX,  L 

ACTION  OF  MINISTERS  OF  NEW  YORK. 

The  following  paper,  prepared  by  Eev.  Dr.  T.  W.  Chambers 
of  the  Collegiate  Eeformed  Dutch  Church,  was  adopted  at  a  large 


Appendix.  459 

meeting  of  ministers  of  different  denominations,  in  the  chapel  of 
the  Madison  Square  church,  and  shows  the  universal  respect  in 
which  Dr.  Smith  was  held  by  his  brethren  in  this  city  : 

It  having  pleased  God  to  remove  from  this  life  the  Rev. 
Heney  Boynton  Smith,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  it  is  fitting  that  his 
brethren  of  various  evangelical  communions  should  put  upon 
record  some  expression  of  his  exalted  worth.  For  although  our 
brother  was  a  faithful  son  of  that  particular  branch  of  the 
Church  with  which  he  was  immediately  connected,  his  sympa- 
thies went  out  warmly  to  all  who  hold  the  Head,  and  his  best 
efforts  were  put  forth  on  behalf  of  the  common  faith  dear  alike 
to  all  who  love  our  Lord.  Yet  it  is  not  for  his  sake  but  our  own 
that  we  thus  testify.  Having  fulfilled  his  course  and  entered 
into  rest,  he  is  far  beyond  the  voice  of  human  praise,  but  it  is  a 
stimulus  and  an  encouragement  for  us  who  remain  to  recall  what 
he  was,  and  what  God  enabled  him  to  do. 

It  is  not  often  that  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  fills  so  many 
varied  functions  as  did  Dr.  Smith,  or  discharges  them  so  suc- 
cessfully. In  youth  enjoying  the  best  advantages  of  home  and 
afterwards  maturing  his  culture  abroad,  he  seems  never  even 
from  the  beginning  to  have  withheld  his  hand  from  any  work 
which  promised  fruit  for  the  Master's  honor.  As  pastor,  pro- 
fessor, translator,  author,  critic,  and  editor,  he  stood  in  a  variety 
of  relations  to  the  Christian  community,  and  yet  failed  in  none. 
Such  was  the  largeness  of  his  nature,  the  equipoise  of  his  facul- 
ties, and  thoroughness  of  his  self-discipline,  that  whatever  field 
he  entered  it  seemed  by  the  result  as  if  that  were  the  very 
one  for  which  he  was  especially  adapted.  His  intellect  was  keen, 
comprehensive,  and  discriminating.  His  action  was  so  just  and 
true  as  to  seem  almost  intuitive.  It  never  played  around  the 
surface  of  a  subject,  but  pierced  to  its  depths.  It  grasped  prin- 
ciples, yet  did  not  overlook  details  and  applications.  Itself  clear 
as  the  sun,  it  imparted  the  same  quality  to  whatever  it  treated. 
And  its  tone  was  so  fair  and  manly  that  one  felt  sure  that  if 
every  side  of  the  truth  were  not  considered,  it  was  only  because 
of  the  necessary  limitation  of  all  human  faculties. 

The  range  of  our  brother's  knowledge  was  simply  prodigious. 
He  appeared  to  have  read  everything,  and  to  have  rememl)ered 
everything.     His  chosen  fields  were  history,  philosophy  and  the- 


460  Appendix. 

ology,  but  liis  acquisitions  went  far  beyond  these  limits.  He  was 
at  home  in  Classics,  in  Belles  Lettres,  in  Exegesis,  in  General 
Physics,  and  in  the  various  departments  of  Ethics,  Law,  and 
Government.  His  learning,  vast  as  was  its  extent,  Avas  well 
digested  and  always  at  command,  so  that  it  made  him  fulfill 
Bacon's  three  great  requisites  of  the  successful  scholar,  that  he 
should  be  full,  exact,  and  ready.  Nor  did  it  ever  hamper 
him.  Goliath's  spear  was  carried  by  Goliath.  After  every 
excursion  in  any  direction,  his  mind,  though  laden  with  spoils, 
was  as  fresh  and  elastic  as  if  it  had  simply  followed  its  own  bent. 

Like  all  true  students  Dr.  Smith  reverenced  the  past,  yet  he 
was  not  its  slave.  Thoroughly  comprehending  its  principles  and 
spirit,  he  pressed  forward  in  the  same  lines  to  a  fuller  and  riper 
development.  This  was  especially  true  of  his  system  of  theology, 
in  which  the  substance  of  revelation,  the  common  heritage  of 
the  Church  since  the  completion  of  the  canon,  was  held  with  un- 
changing firmness,  and  yet  so  arranged  and  formulated  as  to 
meet  every  demand  of  the  age,  and  overmatch  the  so-called 
''free  thought"  of  the  times,  with  thought  yet  more  free,  and 
still  reverent  and  devout.  This  work,  the  fruition  of  a  lifetime 
devoted  to  the  highest  themes  of  human  study,  alas,  does  not 
exist  in  a  shape  that  warrants  much  hope  of  its  appearance  in 
print :  so  that  those  who  come  after  us  will  have  to  judge  of  him 
by  his  Chronological  Tables  of  Church  History,  a  work  wonder- 
ful for  its  fullness  and  accuracy  and  the  felicity  Avith  Avhich  the 
aspects  of  a  period  are  condensed  into  a  few  lines ;  or  by  his 
numerous  utterances  on  a  smaller  scale,  his  translations,  notes, 
prefaces,  reports,  reviews,  sermons,  addresses,  articles  in  cyclo- 
paedias, etc.,  the  extent  and  variety  of  which  indicate  an  extra- 
ordinary literary  activity,  the  more  extraordinary  because  he 
slighted  nothing,  believing  that  what  Avas  worth  doing  at  all  was 
worth  doing  well.  His  literary  integrity  Avas  as  keen  as  his  con- 
science. 

But  after  all,  the  man  was  greater  than  his  work.  The 
preacher,  the  professor,  the  philosopher,  the  debater,  the  critic, 
the  writer,  was  admired,  but  the  friend  was  loved,  and  that  pas- 
sionately. Abstruse  subjects  had  not  dried  up  his  sympathies, 
nor  did  his  own  high  order  of  intellect  lift  him  above  the  fellow- 
ship of  his  brethren.     Unpretending  and  genial,  his  presence 


Appe7idix.  461 

gave  an  additional  charm  to  any  company.  Nothing  was  dry 
but  his  wit,  nothing  was  absent  but  parade.  A  careless  ease,  an 
unstudied  grace  gave  even  to  passing  remarks  the  weight  of 
apothegms,  while  on  proper  occasions  moral  indignation  flamed 
out  like  a  thunderbolt.  Indeed,  so  richly  furnished  was  our 
brother,  and  so  freely  did  he  hold  all  his  gifts  and  attainments  at 
the  disposal  of  his  brethren,  that  not  a  few  will  feel  in  his  death 
a  permanent  diminution  of  the  sources  of  their  instruction  and 
comfort  during  all  that  remains  of  their  early  pilgrimage. 

It  is  then  with  a  melancholy  satisfaction  that  we  pass  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  in  view  of  the  close  of  a  life  so  exemplary  in 
its  course  and  so  fruitful  of  good  to  the  Church  and  the  world  : 

Resolved  1.  That  in  the  midst  of  our  tears  and  regrets,  we 
bow  in  submission  to  the  will  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church 
in  removing  one  so  loved  and  honored  among  his  earthly  ser- 
vants. 

Resolved  2.  That  we  offer  to  the  bereaved  household  our  affec- 
tionate sympathy  and  condolence,  commending  them  to  the  gra- 
cious care  and  consolation  of  that  Saviour  in  whom  their  union 
with  the  departed  became  even  more  sacred  and  tender  than  the 
natural  tie. 

Resolved  3.  That  we  give  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  all  the 
gifts  he  conferred  upon  him  whose  loss  we  mourn,  for  his  intel- 
lectual force  and  insight,  his  grasp  of  thought,  his  power  of 
analysis,  his  chastened  imagination,  his  quick  apprehension  of 
truth,  his  facility  of  apt  expression,  his  fidelity  to  principle,  his 
boldness  in  confronting  error,  and  his  abundant  and  constant 
ability  to  give  a  reason  of  the  faith  that  was  in  him. 

Resolved  4.  That  we  gratefully  recognize  the  influence  of  Dr. 
Smith's  example  in  holding  up  a  high  ideal  of  intellectual  and 
moral  character,  in  reconciling  the  learning  of  a  recluse  with  the 
practical  skill  of  a  man  of  affairs,  in  defeating  skepticism  with 
its  own  weapons,  in  elevating  the  standard  of  Christian  minis- 
try, and  in  powerfully  defending  the  faith  once  given  to  the 
saints. 

Resolved  5.  That  above  all  we  bless  God  for  that  grace  which 
made  our  brother  a  meek  and  humble  believer,  walking  in  all 


462  Appendix. 

good  conscience  before  God  and  man,  whicli  led  him  freely  to 
consecrate  all  the  forces  of  his  intellect  and  all  the  wealth  of  his 
acquisitions  to  the  honor  of  the  Cross,  and  which  enabled  him 
in  yontli  and  in  riper  years  to  count  all  things  but  a  loss  for  the 
excellent  knowledge  of  Christ. 


APPENDIX,  J. 

EXTBACTS  FROM   MiNUTE   OF    UnION    ThELOGTCAL    SeMINAEY, 

New  York. 

In  the  death  of  its  reverend  professor,  the  Eev.  Henry  Boyn- 
ton  Smith,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  the  oldest  in  official  standing  in  the 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  this  institution  has  sustained  a 
severe  loss.     .     .     . 

Dr.  Smith  came  to  the  chair  of  Systematic  Theology  with 
singular  preparation  for  its  duties.  He  had  been  a  pastor,  a 
college  tutor,  a  teacher  of  Hebrew,  a  professor  of  Mental  and 
Moral  Philosophy,  and,  to  crown  the  whole,  a  professor  of 
Church  History  in  this  institution.  To  each  department,  he  had, 
in  turn,  given  the  most  earnest  thought,  especially  in  the  'two 
last  named,and  was  prepared  to  make  subsequently  the  most  valu- 
able contributions  to  Christian  literature. 

But  the  department  which  he  most  loved,  and  to  which  he 
gave  his  chief  thought,  and  made  all  his  other  studies  subser- 
vient, was  Christian  theology.  Here  the  habits  and  acquire- 
ments of  his  previous  efforts  all  came  into  place  ;  they  enabled 
him  to  discriminate  keenly,  state  exactly,  guard  the  inlets  of 
error,  consult  independently  the  original  authorities  of  divine 
truth,  and  present  it  to  the  minds  of  others  Avith  precision  and 
fullness.  Hence  his  teaching  combined,  in  a  remarkable  degree, 
all  the  best  features  of  the  Biblical,  the  historical,  and  the  theo- 
retical methods. 

The  theology  of  Professor  Smith,  if  it  is  ever  reproduced  in 
his  own  language,  will  be  found,  we  think,  to  combine  all  the 
best  elements  of  freshness,  with  very  little  of  doctrinal  novelties, 
for  it  was  not  a  dead  creed,  but  a  living  thought.     He  played 


Appendix.  463 

and  wrought  among  the  speculations  of  tlie  age,  not  merely  to 
resist  or  to  accept,  but  to  distinguish,  to  assimilate,  to  correct. 

Both  the  theological  position  and  methods  of  Dr.  Smith  were 
in  singular  harmony  with  the  foundation  principle  of  Union 
Theological  Seminary.  Avoiding  all  extremes,  he  aimed  to  me- 
diate between  differing  theories  of  Calvinistic  orthodoxy,  and 
reconcile  the  great  Christian  dogmas  with  the  general  conscience 
and  a  sound  philosophy,  by  showing  their  profoundly  reasonable 
as  well  as  scriptural  character. 

No  other  divine  of  our  day  surpassed,  few  equaled  him  in 
this  mediating  and  reconciling  spirit,  or  in  the  irenical  influence 
of  his  theological  system.  He  possessed  the  candor  of  one  who 
knows  his  own  ground  exactly,  and  has  confidence  in  its 
strength,  and  can  therefore  well  afford  to  be  conciliatory.  In 
controversy,  his  great  strength  lay  in  his  quiet  perception  of  an 
opponent's  argument,  and  his  readiness  to  concede  at  once  all 
that  was  sound  in  it.  The  familiar  formula  with  which  he 
grappled  with  an  opponent  who  had  presented  his  own  side  in 
its  fullest  strength,  ''Yes — but  then,"  will  be  readily  recog- 
nized by  those  who  knew  him  well ;  and  the  opponent  who  did 
not  yield  the  ground,  was  quite  sure  to  go  away  feeling  that  he 
had  got  something  to  think  of.  In  the  sphere  of  philosophical 
discussion  and  general  thought,  his  occasional  discourses  and 
essays,  and  his  contributions  to  the  able  Reviews  with  which  he 
was  connected,  are  master-pieces  of  critical  and  speculative 
ability. 

Of  Professor  Smith's  services  to  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
especially  in  the  great  matter  of  reunion,  in  which  he  was 
among  the  first  to  break  ground  publicly,  it  is  enough  to  say, 
that  few  equaled,  none  surpassed  him  in  its  promotion.  Both 
by  his  writings  and  his  counsels  he  was  ever  acknowledged  to  be 
among  the  very  foremost  leaders  of  the  movement.  In  his  rela- 
tions to  Union  Theological  Seminary  there  is  little  danger  of 
our  speaking  too  strongly.  This  institution  owed  to  him,  while 
living,  and  owes  to  his  memory,  now  that  he  has  gone,  a  debt  of 
gratitude,  which  can  be  fully  expressed  only  in  language  which 
might  seem  to  those  unacquainted  with  the  facts,  to  border  on 
extravagance.  He  gave  to  it  five-and-twenty  years  of  the 
strength  and  beauty  of  his  intellectual  and  spiritual  manhood. 


464  Appendix. 

His  devotion  to  it  amounted  to  a  passion,  and  he  wore  out  his 
life  in  its  service.  What  Dr.  Eobinson  did  to  identify  the  name 
of  Union  Theological  Seminary  with  the  highest  scholarship 
connected  Avith  the  land  and  languages  of  the  Bible,  that  did 
Dr.  Smith  with  respect  to  the  highest  scholarship  in  theological 
and  Christian  thought. 

His  social  character  and  excellencies,  all  who  have  had  the 
pleasure  and  benefit  of  his  acquaintance,  will  cherish  in  their 
recollections,  as  among  the  choicest  privileges.  His  friendship, 
although  seldom  demonstrative,  often  the  opposite,  was  true  as 
the  sun  to  his  rising  and  his  going  down.  In  conversation  he 
was  the  peer  of  the  most  eminent.  His  dry  wit  put  everybody 
in  good  humor.  His  rich  thought  and  overflowing  knowledge 
made  them  listen  with  eagerness.  His  friendship,  where  it  did 
centre,  was  that  which  sticketh  like  a  brother's.  From  a 
friend,  or  a  supposed  friend,  none  felt  a  wound  more  keenly,  but 
none  watched  for  more  eagerly  or  accepted  more  cordially  the 
healing  word  or  act.  Of  his  piety  we  need  only  say  that  none 
who  knew  him  well  could  ever  doubt  his  strength  or  generous- 
ness.  This,  too,  was  not  demonstrative.  One  unacquainted 
with  his  character  might  think  it  wanting  in  fervor.  But  it  was 
simple-hearted  and  sincere  as  a  child's  love  for  his  mother,  and 
went  straight  to  its  object,  as  if  heart  was  in  simple  contact 
with  heart.  The  last  years  of  his  life  were  oppressed  with 
crushing,  sometimes  excruciating  sufferings  ;  but  he  bore  up 
manfully,  and  still  worked  on,  only  yielding  when  the  Master's 
call  came,  "Enter  into  rest." 

While  i^utting  on  record  this  grateful  and  exalted  estimate  of 
a  life  and  character  whose  beautiful  impress  we  would  fain  pre- 
serve as  a  legacy  to  our  successors,  and  the  future  pupils  in  this 
our  beloved  Seminary,  the  Board  desire  to  tender  their  most 
heartfelt  sympathy  to  the  bereaved  widow  and  family  in  the 
deep  and  irreparable  loss,  which,  in  God's  holy  providence,  they 
have  recently  been  called  to  sustain. 


Appendix,  465 


APPENDIX,  K. 

EXTKACT  FROM  THE  MiNUTES  OF  THE   FOUETH    PrESBTTERY  OF 

New  York,  March  5,  1877.— S.  D.  Alexander, 
Stated  Clerk. 

It  having  pleased  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  to  call  to  his 
eternal  rest,  Henry  Boynton  Smith,  a  member  of  this  presby- 
tery, and  a  professor  in  Union  Theological  Seminary,  we,  his 
brethren  of  the  presbytery,  desire  to  place  on  record  our  sense  of 
his  personal  worth,  attainments,  and  Christian  usefulness.  "We 
recognize  in  him  one  who  was  specially  anointed  of  G.od  to  be  a 
defender  of  the  faith,  to  ground  the  rising  ministry  of  our 
Church  in  the  systematic  knowledge  of  divine  truth,  and  to 
train  them  in  the  apt  wielding  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  of 
Christian  philosophy,  for  the  confusion  of  its  enemies.  We 
have  delighted  to  recognize  in  him  a  rare  and  beautiful  blend- 
ing of  the  philosophic  intellect  with  the  simple  faith  of  the  Gos- 
pel ;  to  know  him  not  only  as  the  scholar  of  pre-eminent  pow- 
ers and  attainments,  but  also  as  a  meek  and  lowly  follower  of 
that  Divine  Saviour,  who  was  at  once  the  centre  of  his  theology 
and  the  grand  impulse  of  his  life.  We  recognize  his  eminent 
services  in  preparing  the  youth  of  the  church  for  the  ministry 
of  reconciliation  ;  in  introducing  them  to  a  method  of  theologic 
study,  at  once  broad  and  severe,  and  in  animating  their  enthusi- 
asm by  the  purity  and  consecration  of  his  own  character,  and  by 
his  ever-burning  zeal  for  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  ;  in  the  elabo- 
ration of  a  system  of  doctrine  liberal  and  comprehensive,  yet 
true  to  the  principles  of  the  Word  of  God.  No  less  are  we  re- 
minded of  the  part  borne  by  him  in  healing  the  divisions  of  our 
long-sundered  church,  and  of  the  wisdom,  tact,  and  courage 
which  he  brought  to  the  prosecution  of  this  great  and  successful 
work.  We  remember  him  as  one  who  always  bore  about  with 
him  the  character  of  a  Christian  gentleman  ;  whose  rare  learn- 
ing and  mental  power  never  betrayed  him  into  arrogant  self- 
consciousness,  nor  supercilious  condescension,  who  was  true  and 
simple,  frank  and  manly  in  his  attitude  toward  the  student,  no 
30 


466  Appendix. 

less  than  toward  the  sage.  "We  tender  our  affectionate  sympathy 
to  his  bereaved  household,  joining  no  less  in  their  sorrow,  than 
in  their  joy  over  the  priceless  legacy  bequeathed  them  in  his 
noble  life  and  Christian  death  ;  and  we  share  with  the  directors 
and  faculty  of  Union  Theological  Seminary,  the  deep  sense  of 
their  loss  in  the  j^erson  of  him  who  equally  adorned  two  of  its 
principal  departments  of  study. 

We  pray  that  this  affliction  may  be  sanctified  to  the  Church 
at  large ;  that  our  departed  brother  may  continue  to  live  and 
speak  in  the  growing  power  and  prevalence  of  those  divine 
truths,  to  the  elucidation  of  which  he  gave  his  life  ;  and  that 
God  will  raise  up  from  the  number  of  those  who  have  gone  from 
under  his  hand,  those  who  shall  take  up  his  weapons  and  carry 
on  the  same  old  conflict  to  decisive  victory. 


APPENDIX,  L. 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  Chi  Alpha  held  Saturday,  February 
17th,  1877,  the  following  paper  was  read  by  the  Eev.  T.  W. 
Chambers : 

Our  brother,  Henry  Boynton  Smith,  having  departed  this 
life,  Chi  Alpha,  according  to  its  custom,  takes  notice  of  the 
event.  Other  parties  feel  this  bereavement,  each  in  its  own  way. 
The  world  of  letters  mourns  one  who  wrought  in  various  fields 
of  authorship,  and  touched  nothing  which  he  did  not  adorn. 
The  denomination  to  which  he  belonged  remembers  him  as  a 
skillful  leader  of  men  whose  far-sighted  wisdom  made  itself  felt 
from  the  centre  to  the  circumference.  Ecclesiastical  assemblies 
feel  that  they  have  lost  an  accomplished  debater  and  a  ju- 
dicious counsellor.  The  Seminary  where  the  chief  work  of 
his  life  was  performed,  recalls  him  as  a  teacher  of  rare  compe- 
tency and  of  still  rarer  power  of  inspiration,  a  light  which  not 
only  shone  for  itself,  but  had  the  faculty  of  kindling  other 
lights.  But  we,  the  members  of  this  circle  of  Christian  breth- 
ren, are  peculiarly  saddened  by  the  thought  that  we  shall  see 
his  face  no  more  on  earth.  Here  he  was  at  home,  and  here 
the  rich  treasures  of  his  intellect  and  his  heart  were  lavished 


Appendix.  467 

■with  profusion.  Alike  in  personal  intercourse  and  in  discus- 
sions formal  and  informal,  he  endeared  himself  to  us  all. 
When  he  spoke  first  on  any  topic  he  left  little  for  those  who 
came  after  him  to  say,  and  when  he  spoke  last,  he  usually 
opened  a  vein  before  untouched. 

His  genius  illumined  many  a  recondite  theme,  and  his  play- 
ful humor  lightened  many  a  sober  hour.  Scarce  any  of  us 
failed  to  have  occasion  at  times,  and  many  of  us  very  often,  to 
draw  upon  his  immense  store  of  learning,  sacred  and  secular, 
and  we  were  never  disappointed.  Unconcious  of  his  greatness 
he  did  nothing  for  display,  but  always  for  use.  And  each  of  us 
will  carry  through  life  precious  recollections  of  what  he  was  and 
what  he  did.  It  is  pleasant,  even  now,  under  the  recent  shock 
of  his  departure  to  linger  over  the  memorials  of  our  former 
happy  intercourse  ;  it  is  still  more  so  to  anticipate  a  blessed  re- 
union with  our  faithful  friend  and  genial  associate,  when  we 
too,  in  our  turn,  shall  pass  within  the  veil 


APPENDIX,  M. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Merrimac  (formerly  West  Amesbury) 
Congregational  Church,  on  W^ednesday,  the  fourteenth  instant, 
the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  in  token  of  the  affection, 
respect,  and  reverence  entertained  for  their  former  pastor,  the 
tidings  of  whose  recent  death  has  filled  with  sorrow  the  hearts 
of  those  to  whom  he  formerly  ministered  in  this  place. 

1st.  Resolved,  That  it  is  with  a  deep  sense  of  personal  loss  that 
we  learn  of  the  decease  of  Professor  Henry  B.  Smith,  D.D.,  of 
New  York,  once  the  faithful  and  beloved  pastor  of  this  church, 
and  we  lament  with  the  friends  of  his  later  years  the  loss  of  a 
great  and  good  man,  an  honored  servant  in  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  a  devoted  and  steadfast  friend. 

2d.  Resolved,  That  while  we  shall  ever  cherish  the  memory  of 
our  departed  friend  and  brother  with  grateful  affection,  we 
would  not  forget  the  injunction  "to  weep  with  those  that  weep." 
And  we  would  extend  our  sincere  and  heartfelt  sympathy  to  the 


468  Appendix. 

bereaved  widow  and  children  and  the  immediate  circle  of  rel- 
atives in  their  great  sorrow. 

3d.  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted 
to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

{Feancis  Saegekt. 
William  H.  Haskell. 
James  D.  Pike. 

Merrdiac,  Mass.,  February  14,  1877. 


EKRATUM 


The  statement  on  page  4,  that  Richard  King  was  born 
in  England,  is  made  on  the  authority  of  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Southgate,  confirmed  by  some  recent  investigations. 
Others,  on  the  basis  of  family  records,  claim  that  he 
was  born  in  this  country,  although  the  different  records 
name  different  towns,  viz.,  Kittery,  Me.,  Portsmouth, 
N.  H,,  and  Boston,  Mass. 


INDEX. 


Adams,  William,  198,  246,  284,  308, 
369,  372,  404,  410,  411;  letters 
from,  246,  247,  308;  letters  to,  244, 
245,  247. 

Addresses  of  Prof,  Smith,  at  Literary 
and  Theological  Institutions,  Am- 
herst, 248;  Andover,  143,  144,145, 
170;  Bangor,  119,  225;  Boston  His- 
torical and  Collegiate  Society, 
176;  Bowdoin  College,  114,  115, 
287;  Burlington,  140;  Middletown, 
198;  New  York  University,  228; 
Western  Reserve  College,  248; 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  In- 
augurals, 106,  167,  189,  190;  Yale, 
177,  187. 

Adirondaeks,  199,  253. 

-Esthetics,  address  on,  197,  198,  199; 
lectures  on,  176,  233,  237. 

Alexandria,  320,  321. 

Allen,  William,  129,  236,  249,  289,293; 
letters  to,  108,  115,  116,  117,  188. 

Alliance,  Evangelical,  254,  255,  257, 
258,  275,  295,  296,  403;  report  for 
general  meeting  in  Amsterdam, 
275 ;  general  meeting  in  New  York, 
867. 

American  Bible  Society,  176. 

American  Institute,  291. 

American  Presbyterian  and  Theolog- 
ical Review.     See  Review. 

American  Scholar,  Character  and 
Mission  of,  114. 


American  Theological  Review.  See 
Review. 

Amherst  College,  125,133,  135;  life 
at,  136-165,  188;  address  at,  248; 
jubilee,  359. 

Amsterdam,  275. 

Analysis  of  Miiller's  Dogmatics,  250. 

Andover,  87,  93,95,  105,  119,132, 143. 

Anthropology,  lectures  on,  148. 

Apologetics,  articles  on,  400,  401; 
lectures  on,  391,  392,  408,  404. 

Appeal  for  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary, 108. 

Appleton's  Cyclopsedia,  175;  articles 
for,  196,  223,  227. 

Argument  for  personality  of  God, 
146-148. 

Armstrong,  C.  S.,  quoted,  173,  174, 
195. 

Astie,  215,  217. 

Athens,  347,  348. 

Atwater,  L.  H.,  360,  405,  410. 

Assembly  General,  Philadelphia,  35; 
Buffalo,  174;  St.  Louis,  175;  Chi- 
cago, 175,  195,  190;  Philadelphia, 
174,  233-235;  Dayton,  237-243; 
St.  Louis,  254-257;  Harrisburg, 
284-286;  Chicago,  356,  357;  Brook- 
lyn, 399,  400. 

Assembly  General,  0.  S.,  at  Colum- 
bus, 234;  at  Peoria,  234;  at  New- 
ark, 239:  St.  Louis,  254-257;  Al- 
bany, 285,  280. 

471 


472 


Index. 


Auburn  Seminary,  380. 
Augsburg,  259. 

Babelsberg,  75-77,  270. 

Bancroft,  George,   93,  94,  167,  177, 

192,  211,  244,  246,  309,  396;  letters 

from,  225,  232,  244,  246,  288,  389; 

letters  to,  245,  248,  289,  291. 
Bangor  Seminary,  22-25 ;  address  at, 

119,  225. 
Baptism,  Roman  Catholic,  174,  400; 

Minority    report    on,     Appendix 

A. 
Barnes,  Albert,  233,  354. 
Beirut,  344,  345. 
Bel  Alp,  309. 
Bellows,  H.  W.,  289,  291 ;  letter  from, 

298. 
Benary,  translation  from,  118. 
Berlin,  51,  GO-77,   81-84,  258,   268, 

269. 
Besser,  65,  79,  82,  84. 
Bible  collation,  176,  197,  223. 
Bible  Society,  American,  176. 
Bible  revision,  361. 
Bibliotheca  Sacra,  105,  118,  123,  132, 

133,  142;   quoted,  143,144. 
Bird,  Isabella  L.,  209. 
Boston,  93-95,  101-105,  176. 
Bowdoin  College,  12-20,  89,  91,  96, 

97,  98,  114,  115,  236,  287. 
Brainard,  Dr.,  242. 

British  sympathy  with  America,  231, 

232. 
Brown,  F.,  letter  of,  392,  393. 
Brownson,  0.  A.,  91,  104. 
Brunswick,  Me.,  20,  89,  90,  96,  97, 

98,  390. 

Buffalo,  General  Assembly  at,  174. 

Cairo,  322. 

Calhoun,  Mr.,  337,  338,  344. 

Calvin,  John,  190;  articles  on,  196, 
197,  287;  minute  on,  242;  speech 
on,  243;  tercentenary  of,  243;  trib- 
ute to,  by  Ranke,  70. 


Cambridge,  England,  210 ;  Massachu- 
setts, 90;  diploma  from,  199. 

Candlish,  Dr.,  207. 

Catacombs,  lecture  on,  227. 

Channing,  W.  E.,  93,  94,  105. 

Character  and  Mission  of  American 
Scholar,  address  on,  114. 

Chester,  352. 

Chi  Alpha,  302,  311,  314,  349,  353, 
366,  400,  404,  406. 

Chicago,  178;  General  Assembly  at, 
175,  195,  196,  356. 

Christian  Observatory,  145. 

Christian  Union  and  Ecclesiastical 
Reunion,  sermon  on,  238. 

Chronological  tables  of  church  his- 
tory, 175,  180,  196,  222;  223,  224. 

Church,  form  of  admission  to,  363. 

Church  History,  Gieseler's,  175,  196, 
199,  223,  226,  363,  389,  395,  401. 

Church  History,  inaugural  address 
on,  166;  professorship  of,  156. 

Church  Polity,  report  of  committee 
on,  239. 

Clifton  Springs,  369-377,  378-382, 
384-388. 

Codex,  Sinaitic,  259. 

Collation  of  Bible,  176,  197,  223. 

Cologne  Cathedral,  218,  266,  267. 

Colorado,  358. 

Constantinople,  346. 

Convention,  Union  Pres.,  277-280. 

Cornelius,  Mrs.,  letter  to,  186. 

Cotton  Mather,  paper  on,  287. 

Council,  Roman,  works  on,  314. 

Cousin,  M.,  212. 

Covenant,  Church  of  the,  250,  264, 
403,  404,  411. 

Cox,  Samuel  H.,  164,  165;  letter 
from,  275. 

Craig,  Wheelock,  letter  from,  189. 

Critic,  the,  177. 

Crown  Prince,  76,  77,  270. 

Cummins,  Bishop,  368. 

Cyclopaedia,  Appleton's,  175,  196, 
223,  227. 


Index. 


473 


CyclopjBdia,  McClintock's,  175,  287. 
Cyclopaedia,  Johnson's,  400. 
Cyprus,  345. 

Damascus,  342,  343. 

Dana,  Richard  H.,  94,  160,  161;  let- 
ters from,  161,  181;  letter  to,  181, 
182. 

Dartmouth  College,  91,  97,  100. 

Davos,  259,  201. 

"Dawn,  The  Early,"  Introduction 
to,  243. 

Dayton,  General  Assembly  at,  237- 
243. 

Deaf  and  Dumb,  Institution  for,  re- 
port, 228. 

"Division  and  Reunion,"  article  on, 
283. 

Doctrines,  history  of,  article  on,  133. 

Dodge,  D.  Stuart,  letter  from,  322. 

Dollinger,  314;  his  essay  on  Pro- 
phetic Spirit  and  Prophecies  of  the 
Christian  Era,  362. 

Dorner,  258,  269,  288;  review  of  his 
History  of  Doctrine  of  Christ,  142. 

Dresden,  77,  78,  259,  272. 

Early  Life,  chapter  on,  1-38. 
Education,  report  on,  175. 
Education  Society,  194. 
Edwards,  Jonathan,    189,   190,    191, 

192. 
Edwards,  Bela  B.,  87,  95,  106,  120, 

132. 
Ely  Lectures,  appointment  to,  404. 
Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo,  95. 
Emmons,  Life  of,  review  of,  228. 
Engadine,  310,  349-352. 
Europe  and  the  East,  300-353. 
Europe,  life  in,  39-86;  summer  trip 

to,  202-221. 
Evangelical  Alliance.     See  Alliance. 
Evangelist,  New  York,  173,  174,  175, 

187,  195,  237,  250,  275,  283,    393, 

395,  400,  401,  405;  quoted,  169,  173, 

275,  359. 


Evidences  of    Christianity,   lectures 

on,  176. 
Evolution,  402,  404. 

Fairbairn,  Dr.,  207. 

Faith  and  Pliilosophy,  Relations  of, 

address  on,  143,  144,  145. 
Fenn,  William  H.,  150,  402. 
Field,  Rev.  H.  M.,  393,  406;  quoted, 

275. 
Free  Church  of  Scotland,  letter  to, 

254. 
Fisher,  George  P.,  410;  letter  from, 

376;  letter  to,  251,  252. 
Florence,  215,  318. 
Foster,  Dr.  H.,  369,  370. 
Friendship,  sermon  on,  quoted,  142. 
Funeral  services,  410-427. 

Gallagher,  J.  S.,  180,  181,  186,  194, 
202,  205,  206,  209,  212,  213. 

Gastein,  Wild  Baad,  54. 

Gavazzi,  186. 

Genei'al  Assembly.  See  Assembly 
General. 

Geneva,  56,  213,  259,  352. 

Germany,  45-84. 

Germany  Revisited,  258-274. 

German  philosophy,  a  sketch  of,  133. 

German  Prose  Writers,  specimens  of, 
124. 

Gersau,  310,  311,  352. 

Giant's  Causeway,  205,  206. 

Gibson,  Professor,  207,  255. 

Gieseler's  Church  History.  See  Church 
History. 

Gillett,  Ezra  H.,  384.  393. 

Glasgow,  207. 

Godet,  Professor,  75,  76,  77,  259,  270. 

Goodwin,  D.  R.,  16  (note),  20,  45; 
at  Brunswick,  90;  at  Hartford,  198; 
visit  from,  356 ;  at  Clifton  Springs, 
384,  385,  387;  405,  408,  412;  ad- 
dress by,  418-427;  quoted,  16,  20, 
114;  letters  to,  23,  25-30,  32,33, 
34;  syllabus  of  lectures,  387. 


474 


Index. 


Gould,  Dr.,  and  Mrs.,  302,  349,  351, 

352. 
Gospel,   Power    of   the,  address  on, 

25. 
Gray's  Peak,  ascent  of,  358. 
Gurley,  Dr.,  256,  281. 
Guthrie,  Dr.,  305. 

Hadley,  Mass.,  98,  99. 
Hagenbaeh,  Professor,  219;  his  His- 
tory   of  Doctrines,  224,  225,  228, 

229,  230. 
Hall,  John,  234,  357,  377. 
Halle,  44,  45,  60,  63,  64,  258,  270. 
Hamilton,  Dr.,  209. 
Hamilton,    Sir  William,   article   on, 

227. 
Hamlin,  Cyrus,  14,  17-19,  308,  346, 

405. 
Hamlin,  T.  S.,    ordination    sermon 

of.  359,  360;  recollections  of,  168, 

1G9. 
Hanover,  N.  H.,  96,  228,  229. 
Harless,  translation  from,  118. 
Harrisburg,    General    Assembly    in, 

284-286. 
Harrison,  President,  address  on  death 

of,  96. 
Hastings,  Thomas  S.,  411;  letter  of, 

170-172. 
Hawthorne,  211. 
Heacock,  G.  W.,  195. 
Hedge,  F.  PL,  124. 
Hefele,  Bishop,  and  Pope  Honorius, 

362. 
Hegel,  article  on,  223;   translations 

from  and  sketch  of  life  of,  124. 
Hegel,  Mrs.,  63,  69,  70,  77,  84. 
Heidelberg,  311-316. 
Hekekya  Bey,  326. 
Hengstenberg,    60,  63,  74,   84,   258, 

269,  305;   described  as  a  lecturer, 

68,  69. 
Henry,  C.  S.,  91. 

Herbert,    Geo.,    his   "Church    Mili- 
tant "  referred  to,  248. 


Historical  Society,  L.  I.,  paper  read 
before,  287;  N.  Y.,  papers  read 
before,  233,  287;  speech,  396; 
Presbyterian,  addresses  before,  175, 
283. 

History,  lectures  on,  176,  237;  Phi- 
losophy of,  address  on,  177,  187. 

History  of  Doctrines,  article  on,  133; 
of  Philosophy,  Ueberweg's,  361, 
363. 

Hitchcock,  Edward,  125,  146. 

Hitchcock,  R.  D.,  167,  233,  287,  344; 
letters  to,  189,  215;  Prof,  and 
Mrs.,  travels  in  the  East,  324,  338, 
339,  340,  341,  344. 

Hodge,  Charles,  190,  191,  280,  281; 
his  semi-centennial  jubilee,  and 
address  at,  362;  his  "Systematic 
Theology,"  review  of,  3C2. 

Holland,  travels  in,  219,  220. 

Honor,  sermons  on,  142. 

Hopkins,  Erastus,  311,  361,  362;  let- 
ter to,  327. 

Houghton,  James,  205,  206. 

Hours  at  Home,  250. 

House  of  Commons,  209,  211. 

Howland,  Josei)h,  198,  199;  letters 
to,  227,  230,  231,  260,  375. 

Howson,  Dean,  352,  361. 

Hudson,  Ohio,  248.  249. 

Humphrey,  Heman,  115. 

Humphrey,  Z.  P.,  356. 

Huxley,  Prof.,  402. 

Hyeres,  300. 

Imputation,  190,  191. 

Inaugural  Addresses,  166. 

Increase  Mather  "and  his  Times,  ad- 
dress on,  286. 

Independent,  N.  Y.,  201,  236,  237. 

Initiation  of  correspondence  with  0. 
S.  Gen'l  Assembly,  234. 

Inspiration,  sermon  on,  174;  Lee's 
lectures  on,  174. 

Institution  for  Deaf  and  Dumb,  re- 
port of,  228. 


Index. 


475 


Instructor,  assistant,  in  Hebrew,  119, 
124,  132. 

Instructor,  temporary,  in  Bowdoin 
College,  90-98. 

Intellectual  Powers,  lectures  on,  17G. 

Introduction  on  Faith  and  Philoso- 
phy, 308. 

Introduction  to  "  The  Early  Dawn," 
by  Mrs.  Chiules,  243. 

Ireland,  204-20G. 

Jaeobi,  Prof.,  222. 

Jefferson,  N.  H.,  367. 

Jerusalem,  337-340. 

Jessup,  11.,  344. 

Jouffroy,  42. 

Judd,  Norman,  196. 

Julius  Miiller,    271;   his    System  of 

Dogmatics  translated,  250. 
Jiingken,  Dr.,  51. 

Kahnis,  65,  83,  271,  272;  letter 
from,  315;  Prof,  and  Mrs.,  259. 

Kansas,  357. 

Kant,  article  on,  223. 

Katahdin,  25-29,  226. 

Keene  Valley,  253. 

Khedive,  326. 

King,  Mary,  4. 

King,  Richard,  4,  5. 

King,  Rufus,  4. 

King,  William,  4. 

Kirk,  Edward,  39,  43,  101. 

Kirkpatrick,  Dr.,  205. 

Kissingen,  51,  53,  54. 

Koniggratz,  265,  2G8. 

Kottwitz,  Baron,  60,  61,  69,  72,  77, 
81,  84. 

Lasaulx,  Ernest,  translation  from,  133. 
Latitudinarians,    New,  of  England, 

227. 
La  Tour,  303-307. 
Lawrence,  Edward  A.,  quoted,  112. 
Lee,  Bishop,  280. 
Lectures  lor  Lyceums,  96,  112,  124; 


on  Catacombs,  227;  Germany  Re- 
visited, 264;  courses  of — on  An- 
thropology, 149;  on  ^Esthetics, 
Evidences  of  Christianity,  History, 
Mental  Philosophy,  Moral  Philos- 
ophy, and  Mytiiology,  176,  223, 
237;  on  Apologetics,  391,  392;  on 
Theol.  Encyclopedia,  171. 

Leeds,  S.  P.,  228,  229. 

Leipsic,  259,  271,  272. 

Letter  to  the  Free  Church  of  Scot- 
land, 254. 

Leo,  Prof.,  65. 

Lexington,  loss  of  the,  82. 

Library  of  Union  Theol.  Sem'y,  387. 

Lieber,  Francis,  224;  letters  from, 
243,  244,  292. 

Life  in  the  desert,  333-335. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  sermon  on  death 
of,  250;  letter  on,  251. 

Literary  and  Theol.  Review,  N.  Y., 
articles  for,  24,  35,  36,  38. 

Literary  Intelligence,  179,  180,  284. 

London,  84,  85,  86,  209-211,  221,  352. 

London  Evangelical  Christendom, 
287. 

Longfellow,  H.  W.,  2,  94;  his  Mori- 
turi  Salutaraus,  390,  396. 

Lord,  Eleazer,  letter  from,  281. 

Lyman,  Miss  H.  W.,  355. 

Ilaine  Literary  3Ionthly  3Iagazine, 
article  for,  22,  24,  25. 

Magoun,  George  F.,  quoted,  99. 

Malan,  Cajsar,  56. 

Mansel,  H.  M.,  259. 

March,  Francis  A.,  162,  379;  quoted, 
151-154. 

Mather,  Cotton,  paper  on,  287;  In- 
crease and  his  Times,  paper  on,  286. 

Maurice,  F.  D.,  209,  210. 

Maynard,  Miss  S.,  6. 

M'Clellan,  C.  H.,  382,  389. 

McClintock's  Cyclopaedia,  175,  287. 

McClure,  A.  W.,  145. 

McCosh,  James,  255,  257,  309. 


476 


Index. 


Mcllvaine,  Bishop,  279,  280. 

Mellen,  Grenville,  2,  5. 

Memoir  of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  jr.,  223. 

Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy,  pro- 
fessorship of,  133. 

Mental  Philosophy,  Upham's,  review 
of,  35,  36. 

Mercer  St.  Church,  173;  preaching  at, 
163;   prayer-meeting  talks  at,  233. 

Merle  d'Aubigne,  56. 

Merrimack,  107,  127. 

Middletown,  199. 

Milan,  215. 

Mill  vs.  Hamilton,  article  on,  250. 

Milman,  Dean,  209,  211. 

"Minutes  of  Westminster  Assem- 
bly," article  on,  383. 

Miracles,  article  on,  227. 

Monfort,  Dr.,  281,  359. 

Monte  Cassino,  319. 

Montpelier,  140. 

Moos,  Professor,  311. 

Moosehcad  Lake,  225. 

Moral  Philosophy,  lectures  on,  176. 

Moral  Reform,  article  on,  24. 

Morituri  Salutamus,  390. 

Muller,  Julius,  258,  271;  on  Sin,  148; 
System  of  Dogmatics,  250. 

Munich,  53,  259,  271.  316. 

Mythology,  lectures  on,  96,  176,  237. 

Naples,  302,  319. 

Nature  and  Worth  of  the  Science  of 
Church  History,  address  on,  166. 

Neal,  John,  2,  6,  7,  8,  374,  378. 

Neander,  60,  61,  74,  75,  84;  as  a 
lecturer,  66,  67;  influence  of,  166. 

Neill,  Henry,  letter  from,  189. 

Neuchatel,  259. 

New  Canaan,  Ct.,  390,  391. 

New  Faith  of  Strauss,  article  on,  376. 

Newman,  Samuel  P.,  29,  33. 

New  York  Evangelist.  See  Evangel- 
ist. 

N.  Y.  Historical  Society.  See  His- 
torical Society. 


New  York  Literary  mid  Theol.  Re- 
view, articles  for,  24,  35,  36,  38. 

Niagara,  249. 

Nice,  300,  301. 

Nichols,  Ichabod,  1,  10,  13. 

Northampton,  Mass.,  137,  236,  248, 
250,  289,  295,  362,  366,  367,  894- 
396,  427. 

Norwich,  Ct.,  107. 

Nuremberg,  259,  272. 

Ober-Ammergau,  349. 

Observatory,  Christian,  145. 

Observer,  N.  Y.,  quoted,  410,  411. 

Olshausen,  53. 

Oppolzer,  Dr.,  348. 

Ordination    at    W.   Amesbury,   109, 

110,  129. 
Ordination  Sermons,   174,  180,  228, 

359,  360. 
Osgood,   Samuel,   291,  414;   quoted, 

291,  411;  letter  to,  388. 
Oxford,  209,  259. 
Oxford  Essays,  review  of,  227. 

Packard,  A.  S.,  quoted,  19,  20. 

Paine,  Albert,  sermon  at  installation 
of,  135,  141. 

Pantheism,  address  on,  225;  article 
on,  227 ;  paper  on,  367. 

Paris,  39-44,  211,  212,  258,  259,  260, 
261,  300. 

Park,  E.  A.,  87,  95,  105,  106,  309, 
310,  313,  316;  journey  to  the  East 
with,  318,  319,  320,  324,  338,  339, 
341,  344.  347;  at  Clifton  Springs, 
383,  385,  386;  quoted,  127-135, 
143,  144,  364;  his  Life  of  Emmons, 
review  of,  228. 

Parker,  Theodore,  94,  103,  154;  let- 
ter from,  123. 

Payson,  Edward,  1,  294. 

Peabody,  A.  P.,  his  Ely  Lectures, 
378. 

Peabody,  W.  A.,  145.  146. 

Peaslee,  E.  R.,  369,  378. 


Index. 


477 


Personality  of  God,  argument  for, 
146,  147,  148. 

Pike,  John,  quoted,  109. 

Phelps,  Anson  G.,  jr.,  memoir  of, 
223,  224. 

Phi  Beta  Kappa  Addresses,  Yale, 
177;  Middletown,  196,  198,  199; 
New  York.  228. 

Philadelphia.  35,  405;  Moderator  of 
Gen'l  Assembly  in.  233-235 ;  Union 
Convention  in,  278-280. 

Philosophy,  German,  53,  59,  91,  92; 
of  History,  address  on,  177,  187; 
of  the  Sabbath,  address  on,  236. 

Polity,  Church,  report  of  Committee 
on,  239. 

Porter,  Noah,  291. 

Port  Said,  335,  336,  837. 

Portland,  1,  2,  96,  236,  275,  382,  402. 

Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  101. 

Potsdam,  75,  269,  270. 

Post,  Alfred  C,  407. 

Post,  George  E.,  339,  340,  341,  344; 
letter  from,  341. 

Prayer-meeting  talks,  173,  174. 

Prentiss,  G.  L.,  38;  in  Berlin.  72,  73, 
83;  pastor  in  N.  Bedford,  122; 
pastor  of  Mercer  St.  Church,  173, 
182;  in  Vevay,  212,  213,  217;  pastor 
of  Church  of  Covenant,  227,  284, 
354, 356;  Prof,  in  Union  Sem'y,  364, 
372,  373,  379,  408,  411;  quoted, 
188,  191,  238,  241,  275,  276,  406; 
address  by.  412-418;  sermon  by, 
185;  letters  to,  6,  23.  40,  53,  82, 
91,  113,  118.  121,  122,  148.  156, 
158,  188,  199-201,  204,  223,  224, 
227,  249,  261,  287,  301,  305,  311- 
314,  350,  351.  366,  370,  373,  381- 
384,  386-388,  395,  401;  from  Dr. 
Bellows  to,  298. 

Prentiss,  Mrs.  E.,  121,  294,  371, 
408. 

Prentiss,  Seargent  S.,  91,  156. 

Presbyterian  Hist.  Soc'y,  283;  Pres- 
byterian Reunion.      See  Reunion; 


Presbyterian        Quarterly        and 

Princeton  Review.     See  Review. 
Presbyterian  Union  Convention,  277- 

280. 
Prime,  S.  I.,  275,  296. 
Prince,  Wm.  H.,  369,  370,  378,  879, 

385,  388. 
Princeton,  362. 
Princeton  Essays,  190,  192;  Review, 

91,  277;  reply  to,  275-277,  Apj^en- 

dix  F. 
Prout's  Neck,  236,  382,  890,  401,  402. 
Psychology,  lectures  on,  286. 
Publication,  sermon  on.  175. 
Pulpit,  The,  and  Qualifications  of  the 

Preacher,  address  on,  119. 
Pyramids  of  Sakhara,  323,  324,  325; 

of  Ghizeh,  323. 

''Questions,  Unfinished,"  273. 
Quincy,  Josiah,  94. 

Ravenna,  316,  317. 

Raffenspergen,  E.  B.,  letter  from, 
239. 

Ragatz,  311. 

Ranke,  Prof.,  70;  his  lecture  on  His- 
tory of  the  Reformation,  70;  his 
tribute  to  Calvin,  70. 

Reformed  Churches,  article  on,  227; 
discourse  on,  175. 

Reimer,  62,  63. 

Renan's  Life  of  Jesus,  notices  of,  236; 
article  on,  236. 

Relations  of  Faith  and  Philosophy, 
address  on,  143,  144,  145. 

Reply  to  the  Princeton  Review,  275- 
277,  Appendix  F. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Church  Pol- 
ity, 239. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Education, 
175. 

Report  for  Evangelical  Alliance, 
275. 

Report  of  joint  committee,  285;  on 
reunion,   285;   on  R.  C,  baptism. 


478 


Index. 


Appendix  A ;  on  state  of  the  coun- 
try, 254,  256. 

Resolutions  on  slavery,  174,  App.  B. 

Reunion,  238,  241,  242.  254-257,  275, 
295,  296,  298,  307,  308,  309,  360. 

Reunion,  Prof.  Smith's  work  for, — 
modei'ator's  wolcome  to  0.  S.  dele- 
gates, 235;  sermon  at  Dayton,  238; 
"declaration,"  239-241;  report  at 
St.  Louis,  254;  reply  to  Princeton 
Review,  275-277,  Appendix  F  ; 
Union  Convention,  Phila,  278-280; 
review  article  on  Pres.  division  and 
reunion.  283;  address  on  same  be- 
fore Pres.  Hist.  Soc'y,  283;  article 
on  same  for  N.  Y.  Evangelisf,  283 ; 
speeches  in  N.  Y.,  283;  letters  and 
private  conferences.  283,  295,  296; 
Assembly  at  Hairisburg,  284-286. 

Review,  American  Pres.  and  Theol., 
179  (note),  236,  237.  238,  250,  275, 
284,  293,  295,  313,  365.  377;  quoted, 
233-235.  238,  254.  278-280.  283, 
290;  articles  for,  250,  275,  276,  277, 
283,  290. 

Review,  American  Theol.,  179,  180, 
193.  200.  201, 215. 217.  223,  224, 227; 
quoted,  254;  articles  for,  227,  231, 
236,  250. 

Review,  Presbyterian  Quarterly  and 
Princeton,  360,  301,  362,  365,  376, 
377,  384,  387,  393,  396,  400.  401, 
402,  405 :  quoted.  166.  180.  282.  411 ; 
articles  lor.  362,  376.  377,  400,  401. 

Review.  Princeton,  reply  to,  275-277, 
Appendix  F. 

Review,  N.  Y.  Literary  and  Theologi- 
cal, 22,  35. 

Reviews,  Baptist,  Methodist,  New 
Brunswick,  Presbyterian.  Southern 
Qnarterly,  articles  for,  175.  193. 

Rhetoric,  professorship  of,  in  Am- 
herst, appointment  to,  115;  letters 
on.  115-117. 

Rhetorical  Society  of  Bangor  Semi- 
nary, address  before,  119. 


Rhine,  the,  46,  219,  267,  268. 
Rigi,  210;   Scheideck,  310,  311.  ' 
Ripley,  George,  88,  93,  102,  177,  291. 
Riot,  three  days',  235. 
Robinson,  Edward,    61,    63,  66,    74, 

75,  81, 107,  157, 160,  233;  memorial 

paper  on  death  of,  233. 
Robinson,  Mrs.,  61,  63. 
Roman  Catholic  baptism,  174,  400; 

minority  report  on.  Appendix  A. 
Rome,  301-303,  318,  319. 
Rothe,  Theologische  Ethik,  148,  149. 
Round  Table,  236,  237. 
Roxbury,  Mass.,  101,  102. 

Sabbath,  observance  of,  55;  Conven- 
tion, 236;  Philosophy  of  the,  pa- 
per on,  236. 

Saecarappa.  Me.,  3,  8,  25,  36,  99, 100. 

Saratoga,  236.  367, 

Scarborough,  Me.,  3,  4,  6,  89,  236, 
882. 

Saxon  Switzerland,  79. 

Schaff,  Philip,  310,  354,  860,  361 
(note),  405. 

Scheller,  258. 

Schelling,  article  on,  293. 

Schenckendorff,  Baron,  79,  80,  83. 

Schleiermacher,  59,  144,  145;  Dr. 
Osgood  on,  291. 

Scotland,  307,  308;  Free  Church  of, 
letter  to,  254. 

Sears,  Barnas,  104,  105. 

Seelye,  Julius  H.,  letter  of,  149-151. 

Seminary,  Union  Theol.,  155,  157, 
159,  166,  167,  185,  227,  253,  353, 
354.  364,  365,  368,  371,  372,  373, 
379,  387,  391-393.  396,  404,  405; 
appointment  of  William  Adams  to 
presidency  of,  368;  R.D.Hitchcock, 
to  prof 'ship  of  church  history,  167; 
G.  L.  Prentiss  of  past,  theol'y,  eh. 
polity,  and  mission  work,  364;  W. 
G.  T.  Shedd,  of  syst.  theology,  373; 
H.  B.  Smith,  of  church  histoiy, 
156;    of  syst.   theology,   167;    his 


Index. 


479 


resignation  of,  372;  appeal  for, 
168;  library  of,  its  value,  387; 
minutes  of,  extracts  from.  Appen- 
dix H,  J ;  students  of,  tributes  and 
letters  from,  1G9-172,  297,  392,  393. 

Serbal,  329,  331,  332. 

Sermons,  death  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
231,  250;  in  Amherst,  142,  14G; 
Christian  Hope,  203  :  Christian 
Union  and  Ecclesiastical  Reunion, 
238;  farewell  at  W.  Amesbury,  121; 
first,  88;  on  Friendsliip,  cjuoted, 
142;  at  Hadley,  99;  on  Honor,  142; 
on  Incarnation,  389;  on  Inspiration, 
174;  installation  of  Mr.  Doggett, 
249;  of  J.  F.  Stearns,  142;  last, 
389;  ordination  of  T.  S.  Hamlin, 
359,  360;  of  S.  P.  Leeds,  228;  of 
Albert  Paine,  135;  quoted,  141; 
other  ordinations,  142,  180. 

Sharswood,  G.,  234. 

Shedd,  W.  G.  T.,  his  appointment  to 
chair  of  syst.  theology,  373,  374; 
letter  to,  374,  375. 

Sinai,  329,  330,  331,  332. 

Sistine  Madonna,  272. 

Slsetch  of  German  philosophy,  133. 

Skinner,  Thomas  H.,  160,  163,  284; 
quoted,  169,  355;  letters  from,  257, 
307,  308;  death  of,  354;  address  at 
funeral  of,  355,  Appendix  F. 

Slavery,  resolutions  on,  174,  Appen- 
dix B. 

Smith,  Asa  D.,  letter  from,  231;  let- 
ter quoted,  362. 

Smith,  Eli,  66. 

Smith,  Frederic  Southgate,  6,  13, 
228,  229. 

Smith,  Henry,  2,  3,  6,  11;  death  of, 
177;  quoted,  9,  15;  letter  to,  64; 
(and  Mrs.  S.  M.  Smith),  letters  to, 
from  Bowd.  Coll.,  14-16;  Bangor, 
22,  24,  25;  Bowd.  Coll.,  30-32; 
Paris,  39;  Halle,  45,  48,  52,  58; 
journey  vdth  Tholuck,  54-56 ;  Ber- 
lin, 51,  61-63,    64-66,  69,  72,  79- 


81,  84  ;  W.  Amesbury,  118,  123, 
124;  Amherst,  137. 
Smith,  Henry  Boynton,  his  birth,  1; 
ancestry,  2-6 ;  childhood,  6-8  ; 
school-days,  9-12;  Bovydoin  Col- 
lege, 12-19  ;  conversion,  13-19  ; 
Andover  Theol.  Sem'y,  20;  sick- 
ness, 20,  22 ;  Bangor  Theol.  Sem'y, 
22-24;  first  published  articles,  22; 
trip  to  Katahdin,  25-29;  tutorship 
at  Bowd  Coll.,  30-35;  loss  of 
health,  35;  review  of  Upham's 
Ment.  Phil'y,  19,  35-38;  departure 
for  Europe,  38;  wifiter  in  Paris, 
39;  journey  through  Belgium,  44; 
year  at  University  of  Halle,  45-60; 
year  at  University  of  Berlin,  64-84; 
London,  84-86 ;  return  to  America, 
87;  visit  to  Andover,  87;  license  to 
preach,  88;  first  preaching,  88,  89; 
additional  instructor  in  Bowdoin 
College,  89-98;  teaching  and  influ- 
ence there,  98 ;  visits  to  Boston  and 
Andover,  93-95;  disappointments, 
97,  100,  101-103,  107;  preaching 
at  Hadley,  98,  99;  sickness,  99; 
Boston,  101-104;  Andover,  105, 
106;  invitation  to  W.  Amesbury, 
107;  ordination,  109,  110;  mar- 
riage, 111;  life  at  W.  A.,  108-125; 
ministry  and  preaching  at  W.  A., 
Ill,  112,  130,  131 ;  address  at  Bowd. 
College  commencement,  114,  115; 
election  to  prof'ship  of  rhetoric  at 
Amherst,  115;  declined,  116,  117; 
address  at  Bangor,  119;  instruc- 
tions in  Hebrew  at  Andover,  119, 

124,  132;  his  preaching  there,  132; 
contributions  to  Bib.  Sacra,  118, 
123,  132,  133;  to  "Specimens  of 
German  Prose  Writers,"  124;  elec- 
tion to  prof'sliip  of  mental  and 
moral  philosophy  at  Amherst,  125, 
133;   acceptance,  125;   dismission, 

125,  133-135;  farewell  sermons, 
125;    life    at    Amherst,    136-165; 


48o 


Index. 


method  of  teaching,  149,  150,  151, 
153;  preaching,  136,  142,  146;  ser- 
mon at  ordination  of  his  successor 
at  W.  A.,  135,  141;  address  at 
University  of  Vermont,  140;  ad- 
dress at  Andover  on  "  Relations  of 
Faith  and  Phil'y,"  143-145,  170; 
election  to  prof'ship  of  church  his- 
tory in  Union  Theol.  Sem'y,  155 ; 
letters  concerning,  156-160;  ac- 
ceptance, 159 ;  lectures  begun,  163 ; 
inaugural,  166;  work  in  sem'y,  168; 
appointment  to  chair  of  syst.  the- 
ology, 167;  his  lectures  and  teach- 
ing, 170,  171;  tributes  of  students, 
168-172;  preaching  in  N.  Y.,  172, 
173;  prayer-meeting  talks,  173; 
ecclesiastical  labors,  174,  175;  lite- 
rary labors,  175;  revision  of 
Gieseler,  175,  see  History;  Tables 
of  church  history,  see  Tables;  Bi- 
ble collation,  176;  addresses  at 
lit.  institutions,  176;  lectures  at 
Spingler  Inst.,  etc.,  176;  editor- 
ship of  Am.  Theol.  Review,  see 
Review;  death  of  his  father,  177; 
Summer  in  Europe,  202-221 ;  re- 
turn, 222;  varied  labors,  223; 
memoir  of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  jr., 
233;  revision  of  Hagenbach,  224; 
address  at  Bangor  anniversary, 
225 ;  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  N.  Y.  Un'y, 
228;  review  art.  on  Sir  W.  Hamil- 
ton's Theory  of  Knowledge,  227; 
art.  for  Appleton's  Cyclopedia,  227 ; 
art.  on  Park's  life  of  Emmons, 
228;  death  of  his  brother,  F.  S. 
Smith,  229;  his  patriotism,  130, 
131 ;  art.  on  British  sympathy  with 
Am.,  231;  revision  of  Stier,  233; 
moderator  of  Gen'l  Assembly, 
Phila.,  233;  paper  on  Philosophy 
of  the  Sabbath,  236;  sermon  at 
Da}i;on  and  other  work  for  reunion, 
see  Reunion;  addresses  on  Calvin, 
243 ;      commencement     addresses, 


248;  review  articles,  250;  sermon 
on  death  of  Lincoln,  250 ;  Germany 
Revisited,  258-273 ;  return  to  varied 
labors,  275;  report  for  meeting  of 
Ev.  Alliance,  Amsterdam,  275; 
labors  for  reunion,  see  Reunion; 
literary  work,  286,  287;  addresses 
on  Cotton  and  Increase  Mather, 
286,  287;  at  Bowdoin  commence- 
ment, 287;  art.  on  Calvin  for  Mc- 
Clintock's  Cyc,  287;  failing  health, 
295 ;  departure  for  Europe,  299 ;  Eu- 
rope and  the  East,  300-353 ;  work  re- 
sumed, 354;  Gen'l  Assembly  at  Chi- 
cago, and  journey  to  Colorado  and 
Kansas,  357-359 ;  ordination  sermon 
for  T. S.Hamlin,  359,  360 ;  co-editor- 
ship of  Pres.  Quarterly  and  Prince- 
ton Review,  360;  of  Theol.  and 
Phil.  Library,  360;  Bible  revision, 
361;  editorship  of  DoUinger,  362; 
failing  health,  364,  365;  to  North- 
ampton, Saratoga,  coast  of  Maine, 
and  Jefferson,  N.  H.,  366,  367; 
lectures  in  sem'y,  368;  increased 
illness,  368,  369;  Clifton  Springs, 
369-377;  resignation  of  his  profes- 
sorship, 372 ;  review  of  "  New  Faith 
of  Strauss,"  376,  377;  return  to 
N.  York  city,  writings  for  Evangel- 
ist, on  minutes  of  Westminster 
Confession,  383;  Clifton  Springs, 
384;  to  N.  Y.,  385;  to  CUfton 
Springs,  385;  visits  to  his  chil- 
dren, 389 ;  summer  with  his  broth- 
er, 390,  391 ;  lectures  on  Apologet- 
ics in  sem'y,  392,  393;  work  for 
Review,  Evangelist,  and  in  sem'y 
library,  393;  Northampton,  394- 
396;  speech  at  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc'y, 
396;  second  course  in  sem'y  on 
Apologetics,  396;  death  of  his 
brother,  Horatio  S.  Smith,  397;  in- 
creased feebleness,  400 ;  writings  for 
Evangelist,  Review,  and  on  Strauss 
for  Johnson's  Cyclopaedia,  400;  sum- 


Index. 


481 


mer  of  suffering  and  sorrow,  401; 
work  on  Gicseler,  and  review  arti- 
cles on  German  works  on  Apologet- 
ics, 401;  return  to  N.  Y.,  evening, 
402 ;  evening  services  at  Church  of 
Covenant,  408,  404;  talk  at  Chi 
Alpha  on  evolution,  404;  appoint- 
ment to  Ely  lectureship,  404;  last 
sickness,  400-409;  his  death,  409; 
memorial  services  in  chapel  of 
Madison  Square  Church,  410,  411; 
public  services  in  Church  of  the 
Covenant,  411,  412;  address  by 
Dr.  Prentiss,  412-418;  address  by 
Dr,  Goodwin,  418-427;  burial  at 
Northampton,  427. 

Smith,  Horatio  S.,  6,  32,  72,  365,  368, 
878,  390,  391,  396,  397,  398;  quoted, 
378,  379  (note);  letter  from,  370; 
letters  to,  369,  370,  394,  395. 

Smith,  Isaac,  2. 

Smith,  John,  2. 

Smith,  Judge,  2. 

Smith,  Mrs.  S.  M.,  6;  quoted,  6-8; 
letters  to,  from  W.  Amesbury,  110; 
N.  Y.,  187,  200;  London,  210;  N. 
Y.,  229,  250,  251,  253;  London, 
262,  263;  N.  Y.,  287,  298;  Europe, 
300,  303,  310;  the  East,  324,  325, 
331,  332,  344,  345;  N.  Y.,  355,  356, 
362,  367,  373,  377,  397,  398. 

Society  of  Inquiry,  Amherst  College, 
address  before,  248. 

South  Berwick,  Me.,  101. 

Southgate,  Arixene,  3,  5,  6. 

Southgate,  Eliza,  5. 

Southgate,  Frederic,  5. 

Southgate,  Horatio,  5,  236. 

Southgate,  Horatio,  jr.,  and  Mrs.,  let- 
ter to,  66-69. 

Southgate,  Mary,  5. 

Southgate,  Mrs.  Mary  King,  4. 

Southgate,  Robert,  3,  4. 

Specimens  of  German  Prose  Writers, 
124. 

Spingler  Institute,  176,  223,  233. 
31 


Spinoza,  153,  251,  252. 

Si)rague,  Wm.  B.,  letters  from,  232, 
233,  290  ;  letters  to,  290,  203,  294. 

Spurgeon,  210. 

St.  Hilaire,  B.,  39,  42. 

St.  Louis  General  Assembly,  175,  254- 
250. 

St.  Moritz,  310,  349-352. 

Stanton,  R.  L.,  255  ;  letter  from,  281, 
282. 

State  of  the  country,  report  on,  254, 
256. 

Stearns,  J.  F.,  Newburyport,  121, 160, 
280;  installation  at  Newark,  142; 
Moderator  of  General  Assembly, 
284,  285,  372,  411,  412  ;  quoted, 
238,  282,  283  ;  sermon  on  Justifi- 
cation, 185  ;  letters  to,  125,  157, 
185,  189,  190,  194,  216,  217,  277, 
298,  325,  326,  327,  381. 

Stearns,  Mrs.  J.  F.,  121,  295. 

Steffens,  Prof.,  81. 

Stier,  revision  of,  233,  236. 

Strauss,  article  on,  400  ;  his  "  Life  of 
Jesus,"  54,  69,  269  ;  "New  Faith" 
of,  article  on,  376,  380. 

Strong,  James,  233. 

Stuart,  George  II.,  280. 

Stuart,  Moses,  87,  105,  106. 

Tables,  Chronological,  of  Church  His- 
tory, 175,  180,  196,  222,  224. 

Tappan,  Benjamin,  letters  to,  34,  42, 
136,  146-148. 

Taylor,  William,  404. 

Tercentenary  of  John  Calvin,  243. 

TheologischeEthik,  Rothe's,  148, 149. 

Theol.  and  Phil.  Library,  360. 

Theory  of  Knowledge,  Sir  William 
Hamilton's,  review  of,  227. 

Theremin,  60. 

Tholuck,  A.,  47-56,  59,  60,  62,  64,  83  ; 
his  jubilee,  fund  for,  354  ;  letters 
from,  126,  127,  138,  139,  183,  184, 
217,  218,  259,  202-264,  314,  315  ; 
letter  to,  230. 


482 


Index. 


Tholuck,  Prof,  and  Mrs.,  74,  258,  270, 

271. 
Thomas,  Dr.,  242,  255. 
Thompson,  A.  C,  61,  62. 
Thornwall,  J.  H.,  192  ;  letters  from, 

192,  193. 
Ticknor,  George,  39,  94,  95,  101. 
Tieck,  his  reading,  77,  78. 
Tischendorf,  259,  271. 
Transcendentaiists,  Boston,  90,  91. 
Trench,  Dean,  209,  211,  224. 
Trendelenburg,  65,  258,  269. 
Trinity  College,   examinations,  206  ; 

its  library,  etc.,  205. 
Trenton,  400,  405. 
Tustin,  Dr.,  234,  235. 
Twesten,  A.  D.  C,  61  ;  his  Dogmatik, 

translation  of,  88,  91,  105, 132,  238, 

258,  269. 
Tyler,  Wm.  S.,  quoted,  154,  155. 
Tyng,  Stephen,  Dr.,  280. 

Ueberweg's  History  of  Philosophy, 
290,  361,  363. 

Ullman,  219. 

Union  and  Reunion,  275. 

Union,  Christian,  etc.,  sermon  on, 
238. 

Union  Theol.  Seminary.  See  Semi- 
nary. 

University  of  Vermont,  address  be- 
fore, 140  ;  D.D.  from,  199. 

Ulrici,  H.,  47-49,  50,52,59,60,65,258. 

Ulrici,  Mrs.,  59,  65. 

Upham,  Prof.  Thomas  C,  his  Mental 
Philosophy,  review  of,  14,  19,  35, 
36,  37. 

Van  Dyck,  344. 

Van  Osterzee's  "Christian  Dogmat- 
ics," 361. 

Vermont,  University  of,  140  ;  D.D. 
from,  199. 

Vevay,  212,  315-218. 


Vincent,  M.    E.,    his   address,  412  ; 

quoted,  166, 167, 179, 180,  282,  403, 

404. 
Vinton,  Alexander  H.,  103. 
Vogel  von  Vogelstein,  78,  79. 
Von  Schubert,  53. 

Waldenses,  303,  305,  306. 
Waldensian  Synod,  303. 
Wales,  travels  in,  207. 
Walker,  James,  93. 
Wallace,  Dr.,  179. 
Walnut  Hill,  Maine,  88,  89. 
Wartburg,  the,  259,  272. 
West  Amesbury,  Mass.,    107,    141  ; 
chapter  on,  108-135.   Appendix  M. 
Westminster  Assembly,  Minutes  of, 

articles  on,  383. 
Western  Eeserve  College,  address  at, 

248  ;  LL.D.  from,  249. 
Wheaton,  61. 
White,  Henry,  156.     " 
Whittier,  J.  G.,  112. 
VVhedon,  Dr.,  198  ;  on  The  Will,  ar- 
ticle on,  250. 
Wild  Baad  Gastein,  52,  53,  54. 
Willis,  William,  5,  10. 
Wilson,  James  P.,  167, 187,  382;  let- 
ter from,  376. 
Wisconsin,  visit  to,  359. 
Withington,    Leonard,  quoted,    109, 

120. 
Witte,  65. 

Wittenberg,  60,  270. 
Woods,  Leonard,  87,  90,  105,    106  ; 

quoted,  24. 
Woods,  Leonard,  jr.,  23,  23,  25,  38, 
82,  201,  390  ;  letters  from,  36,  37, 
38  ;  letters  to,  37,  38. 
Woolsey,  C.  W.,  275  ;  and  Mrs.,  let- 
ters to,  304,  305,  349,  350. 
Words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  revision  of, 

233,  236. 
Wulkow,  79,  80,  82,  84. 


HEROES  OF 

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